


The Last Kryptonian

by Luth13n



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Evil Kara, F/F, F/M, I should stop while I'm ahead, Jedi fights, Nice Mon-El, Star Wars AU, SuperCorp, galactic battle, redemption arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2019-10-20 06:16:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 135,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17617076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luth13n/pseuds/Luth13n
Summary: A long time ago, in a  Galaxy far, far away…Krypton, a planet known as the birth-place of many powerful Jedi, had been destroyed by a mysterious terrorists group. Rhea, the fallen Chancellor, found the last daughter of Krypton, Kara Zor-El, hiding in a remote planet, living amongst her adopted family. With promises that they would avenge her planet and prevent Krypton’s fate from happening to anyone ever again, Rhea convinced the last Kryptonian to combine powers and join her in starting a new empire.Years later, the Luthors, known for their centuries-long hatred of Jedi, has been thriving in the new world order. Lena Luthor, flees her family after discovering her Force-sensitivity with the hope of finding and joining the Resistance. But she is halted by a few issues: how does she find the Resistance and how does she convince them to trust her despite her last name….





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the headcanon by seriouslyficent. Honestly, many people have written small segments, but as I looked I couldn't find a fleshed out multi-fic surrounding this premise. So, alas, here we are. I've got the whole plot planned out, and only a small portion written.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy. I hope I do this justice.

**The Last Kryptonian**

 

_A long time ago, in a  Galaxy far, far away…_

_Krypton, a planet well known for being the birth-place of many powerful Jedi, had been destroyed by a mysterious terrorists group. A few years later, Rhea, the fallen Chancellor, found the last daughter of Krypton, Kara Zor-El, hiding in a remote planet and living amongst her adopted family. Promising the young Kara that they would avenge her planet and prevent Krypton’s fate from happening to anyone ever again, Rhea convinced the last Kryptonian to combine their powers and join her in the start of her new empire._

_Alex Danvers, who has quickly climbed up the rank of the Resistance, has never lost hope of finding her adopted sister again and freeing her from Rhea’s influence. As a newly promoted captain, Alex knows that she’ll either have to save Kara or stop her her from dooming the rest of the galaxy._

_Years later, the Luthors, known for their centuries-long hatred of Jedi, has been thriving in the new world order. Lena Luthor, upon discovering her powers, decides to run away from her hateful ancestry with the hope of finding and joining the Resistance. But her endeavor is halted by a few important issues: how does she find the Resistance and how does she convince them to trust her despite her last name…_

* * *

 

**Sicemon — Sice System**

If she saw another field of grass, she was going to scream.

Lena trudged forwards through the tall greenery, muttering curses under her breath and favoring her left leg as she headed towards the large, stone edifice in the distance. When her ship had been forced to land (it wasn’t quite a crash, but she’d done far better in the past), the city ahead of her hadn’t seemed terribly far away.

However, now that she was on foot, the idea of even getting there was beginning to become more than a little daunting. If she squinted, maybe the city would seem closer.

Sicemon had been the closest neutral planet her brain had come up with after she had stolen one of her mother’s ships. It was her first step towards the Resistance, and the rest of the steps . . . she was taking them one at a time.

Lena gritted her teeth as her brain flashed through the events of her recent memory. If she hadn’t forgotten about the changes in the nightly patrols, then she wouldn’t have been seen sneaking out of the main forum of her mother’s — _Lillian’s_ — gargantuan home.

From there, it had been a rush of blaster fire and good reflexes. Although, Lena knew that to anyone watching her, it would have been obvious that they weren’t just _good_ reflexes — it was more than that.

Not for the first time, she was hit with the sobering truth that her brother, the infamous “Jedi-killer”, and her mother, the true bane of her existence, most likely knew of her Force-sensitivity.

She inwardly winced. It wasn’t like she’d ever wanted it in the first place, but once she knew she had it . . . but if she was honest, it wasn’t her _gift_ that drove her from her family. If she were honest, it was more of the fact that her family had ever failed to be just that and she was waiting idly by for a reasonable enough excuse to leave for good.

 _Except now they want your head_.

Eventually, Lena made it to the edge of the city, still soaked in sweat, her leg throbbing, and her pistol heavy on her hip. She looked wryly up at the city carved in what appeared to be limestone. The natives here definitely seemed to favor function over appearance, but as long as this small city could help her, she had little to complain about.

As she passed the guards at the main entrance amidst a bustling crowd of merchants and citizens, she carefully pulled up her hood. It was unlikely that the citizens here knew her face, but she wasn’t in a state where she could afford to be lax.

The first thing she noticed was that the main market street smelled like body odor and smoke. Beyond that, Lena couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at the number of bodies around her. Clearly this was the only central town or city for a while.

She impatiently staggered along with the flow of traffic, her mind reeling with questions she’d let herself avoid up until now. How in the _hell_ was she supposed to join the Resistance?! She’d been focused on the end goal and escaping the Luthors, but now that she thought about it, she probably should’ve planned out the _how_.

No. Luthors _always_ had a plan. And two put in place in case the original didn’t pan out as expected. She may have distanced herself from them, but the Luthors were still a part of her DNA and her upbringing.

Lena felt herself stand straighter, despite the pain in her leg. If there was anything that she’d learned in listening to political jargon and reading through her family’s library, it was that neutral systems and the planets and moons within them were a strategic piece of the ever-growing Empire as a whole.

Rhea had just as many spies, if not more, than the entire Resistance combined, and while a majority of the Resistance was founded on reconnaissance, it was simply much easier to do dirty deals and gain information behind backs and under the tables than in a court-room or negotiation.

She aimed to lure the Resistance out, give them false security in a zone that had yet to be “taken” by the Empire, only to plant ears everywhere. This didn’t mean that the Resistance wasn’t permeating those locations.

Lena figured that if she were in a rebel’s shoes, it would be too good of an opportunity to play the game back with those working for Rhea to extract information needed. Especially considering that most of the men and women the Empire hired to do the reconnaissance were paid. And everyone, _everyone_ had a price when it came to knowledge. You just had to know how to beat it.

So, where would most of these arrangements happen? Cantinas. Taverns. But, it was a matter of finding the right one. Thus came the Luthor with and charm.

Lena saw her target, made a quick assessment, and then stumbled in her steps, bumping into the tall, broad-shouldered Trandoshan almost carelessly.

“Hey —“ he began before stopping once she made eye contact with him. She saw a grin pull at the corners of his mouth, mirroring her slow, flirtatious smile. “Well, what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

Lena could’ve sworn her eye twitched at that comment, but she wasn’t about to let it show. She was much better than that.

“I’m sorry, I must’ve tripped. I’m a little lost. I’m looking for a good place to rest my legs — do you know of anywhere I could do that?” If the idiot didn’t take the bait, she was going to have to take action, and she was _really_ hoping he was as shallow as he appeared.

She held her breath as he uncrossed his arms with a cocky smile, not hiding the way his eyes searched her robes as if mentally undressing her. “My place isn’t far from here, let me lead you there.” He patted the gun at his hip and jerked his head towards the rifle slung across his back. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. My job is all about these guns, you’ll be perfectly safe.”

Lena let him lead her away from the bustling crowd, and soon the overwhelming smell of the mass of bodies and the sound of endless chatter died away. They went further into the giant rock that the city was carved into, and Lena began planning her next move as the Trandoshan continued talking.

“I’m a bounty hunter. Been tracking this guy who stole a quarter million credits from some big-wig in the Kessil system. Had some trouble tracking him, but he’s not my first — left up here — and allegedly the guy has some connections with the Jedi, you know, the Hidden Knights, which led me here to see if it’s true, though if you ask me, I’d put my bets that he’s just a desperate guy in desperate need of some money.”

Lena couldn’t believe her luck. He was an idiot _and_ he was going to be more help than she’d even asked for.

They turned the corner and, when she didn’t see anyone on the street, stuck her foot out to trip her guide. He stumbled forwards and with a focused flick of her wrist he was on the ground, pushed by some invisible force. As he rolled over with alarm in his eyes, she stuck him in the nose with her elbow, turned, jabbed her hand into his throat before toeing him between his legs and watching him sink into the dirt.

Lena wasted no time in grabbing his pistol and holding it to his head as she kneeled beside him, wincing at the weight on her injured leg.

“Why are men so predictable?” she muttered to herself before leaning over him as he was gasping in pain. “We’re going to make this quick, and then I’ll let you find your target. Where do men of your caliber get their information in this city?”

He chuckled through his pain. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, lady.”

“Everyone who’s good at any type of business knows that most tasks get done by word of mouth rather than gun and hellfire. Now, we both know that the spy rings in this sector are immense, don’t we? Where do most of them go? I’d offer a price, but I promise you, I’m not really in a position to make such an offer.”

For emphasis, she added a little more pressure on his head with the gun and he let out a yelp.

“Ok, ok! Look, just leave me alone after this, ok? I got enough on my plate without some crazy lady asking for directions!” He took a deep breath, the wind of it stirring the dirt on the ground. “There’s a small bar not far from here where most people talk that you wouldn’t want to get your hands dirty with. Go there to do your business!”

“Now that wasn’t too difficult.” She stood up and almost fell down when her left leg shook beneath her. She needed to hurry and get to where she could sit down. Lena tossed the gun into the dirt by the bounty hunter still on the ground.

“You . . . you’re not gonna shoot me?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “The safety wasn’t ever off.” Lena began to walk down the street, focused on keeping her gait steady ( _Luthors never show weakness)_ as she called back over her shoulder, “I know a first time hunter when I see one.”

* * *

 

Lena had been offered seven drinks so far by the other patrons in the bar, and so far, she’d only consumed five of them. It was enough to dull the throbbing in her leg and the weariness that came from a lack of sleep, but not enough to stop her from keeping a watchful eye (and ear) on the small, dark space.

The music, a lazy, but still lively beat, melded the conversations into a mess of convoluted words, but every now and then she’d hear something. Nothing too interesting, though. Not yet.

It was odd, sitting and waiting. After such an eventful and strenuous couple of days.  

 _“Lena, you’re_ leaving _? After all we’ve worked towards, you’re just_ leaving _.”_

_She couldn’t tell him the real reason she had to leave. Not before she even understood her abilities herself._

_“I’m not going to stand by and_ watch _you and Lillian destroy the legacy Lionel wanted left behind, Alexander!” Lena yelled across the courtyard, over the shouts of men drawing nearer and the growing wind. She could barely make out her brother’s silhouette in the night, the shadows on his face cast sharply by the nearby lantern._

 _“Lionel was a fool if he thought we could gain peace through corporations and idle business deals! Don’t you see, Lena?! We cannot achieve peace when there are those with power beyond that of the majority — the ones_ hungering _for peace! An ever-present threat only looms and grows unless we do something about it!”_

_He stalked forward as he talked. Soon they were but ten feet from each other. Men entered the courtyard, guns trained on her person, but her brother held up a hand, commanding them to hold their fire._

_“Alexander,” she began, pleading with him._

_“It’s Lex now,” he grounded out. “Alexander was a foolish school-boy who thought his father was capable of anything.”_

_Lena’s heart was racing a million miles a minute. Any false move and he’d have her killed. She knew it, and she saw it in his eyes: the pent up rage, the coldness that hadn’t always been there._

_“Is that how it works? Giving yourself a new name to justify the things you’ve done?! You started a_ war _Lex! The Jedi were a neutral player until you slaughtered their symbol of hope —“_

_“KAL-EL WAS A THREAT!”_

_Lena bit back a sob. “He was your friend,” she said quietly, hoping the wind drowned out her words._

_They hadn’t._

_She saw it in his eyes before he even spoke._

_As she ran from the blaster-fire, allowing their streaks to illuminate her path towards the bunker where she knew her brother kept his ship, she convinced herself that the rain beginning to fall is what made her face wet, and that the drops she tasted didn’t have a bit of salt to them._

“Hey.”

Lena snapped out of the memory, her eyes sharply connecting with those in front of her. Dark eyes, just like her mother’s. She could see curiosity, and perhaps a bit of mischief dancing in them.

“I’ve seen you be approached by a number of people, and something tells me you’re not here for conversation.” The bartender threw her towel over her shoulder and leaned forward on the counter. “Talk.”

Lena snorted. “I’m sure you’ve heard quite a few interesting tales, but trust me when I say that mine is not one you’d want to know.” She hid her face in her drink as she took another sip and looked around the room again.

The bartender wasn’t fazed. “A beautiful woman like you with no tale of how she got stranded on one of the most boring of neutral territories,” she grinned a dimpled grin, “I think there’s something there I’d be interested in.”

A patron down the bar called out and the bartender held up a finger to Lena, telling her to wait a moment. It wasn’t long before she was back.

“Have you heard about what’s going on on Coruscant?” she asked casually, wiping a glass down with her towel.

Lena almost choked. “What?” she managed.

“The Jedi have left every council on every Core planet after Lex Luthor obliterated Kal-El. It’s been going around, but it’s just interesting to see that there’s absolutely no more Jedi in government on the Core planets anymore now.” The bartender put the glass on a shelf behind her and turned around, fixing Lena with a piercing stare. “Seems to be a turn for the rebellion, or a lost play in the hands of the Empire.”

Lena didn’t know what the woman was getting at, or what she was looking for. What was her game? Was she trying to expose Lena as a member of the Resistance and then turn her into what a majority of these patrons had to be — Rhea’s men? Or was it the opposite? Was she trying to expose Lena as a loyalist, ready to take her to the Resistance to be tortured into speaking what she knew?

“You seem awfully hopeful for a bartender on a neutral planet,” Lena commented.

The bartender never broke eye contact, but something in her eyes made Lena think she passed a test of sorts. “I like to see where certain people are coming from. It helps me get to know them better.” She gave a lopsided grin. “I, for one, would like to know the name of the mysterious woman in front of me, if she’d allow it, of course.”

Lena couldn’t help but cock an eyebrow. Was this woman . . . _flirting_ with her now?

She opened her mouth to respond.

“ _Lena Luthor._ ”

Every patron in the bar fell silent as a man in a full suit of some sort of armor stepped into the room. The unfortunate Trandoshan Lena had interrogated earlier was stumbling behind him, holding the door open so that the light case the armored man in a silhouette.

“You’re quite far from home, and with a sizable bounty on your head.” His voice was muffled and digitally distorted from the helmet on his head.

Lena could _feel_ the bartender’s gaze change as she looked at her.

“‘Lena _Luthor’_?!”

Lena held her chin up, her gaze steady as her hands shook slightly in her lap. There was no feasible way she was getting out of this in one piece. Not with her leg and her fatigue.

The bounty hunter held up a pocket-sized holo-projector and held it up for the room to see. On the small device was a perfectly rendered image of Lena’s face and shoulders; Lillian’s voice, clear as day, rang out over the room:

_“My daughter has been kidnapped by rebel insurgents from our home. I’m broadcasting this message as far across the Empire as possible in the hope that she’ll be returned to us alive and well. Our reward is seven hundred thousand credits. May the Empress’ favor shine upon you.”_

Before the message could repeat itself, the bounty hunter had shut the device down. All eyes were either on him or on Lena. It was unmistakable who she was now.

“Now. You can either help me bring Miss Luthor back home, or you can stay out of my way,” the man stated coolly. He drew two sleek-looking pistols and pointed them at Lena.

“Seven hundred _thousand_ ,” muttered a patron to her left in awe.

Lena’s heart was racing, and she was trying to come up with a plan, any plan, but her mind was frozen in fear.

“Hey, now.” The bartender’s tense voice sounded from behind her. “I don’t want a mess in my bar. Take it outside or wait until later.”

The bounty hunter was still.

Four things then happened faster than Lena could draw her next breath. First, the bounty hunter fired his pistols at her. Second, he was falling to the ground. Thirdly, She was being pulled up and over the bar at an alarming speed, and fourth: all hell broke loose.

Lena hit the ground behind the bar as people began fighting, blaster fire and shouts and fists hitting skin flooded her ears. She cried out as the impact jarred her leg.

“Hey, don’t lose your _shavit._ ” The bartender was holding a smoking pistol, her hand pulling Lena towards the end of the bar. “I need you active and ready.”

“What in the —”

The bartender got close to her, their faces inches apart as her eyes bore into Lena’s. “I need you to trust me, and I get it, we barely know each other, but I promise you that I’ll get you out of here safely. I have people fighting for their lives to keep you _and me_ in one piece, and damn it all if I don’t finish what I started.”

Lena blinked. “You. You shot him.”

The bartender grinned, her dimples showing again. “Felt good.” She pushed a rug to the side revealing a trap door. “ _Go!”_

Lena forced her body through, her eyes watering in pain when she landed. The bartender landed lithely next to her, the door falling shut behind them.

“ _Kriff,_  Alex is going to _kill_ me,” the woman muttered to herself. “Ok. At the end of the tunnel is a door. The door leads to a hangar. Expect all hell to follow us there; my ship is hard to miss. Go to it like your life depends on it.”

Lena’s breath was labored as she focused on standing and keeping conscious. “My life _does_ depend on it!” she hissed, nettled.

Her savior didn’t seem to notice. “That’s the spirit! Now _go!”_

The tunnel wasn’t terribly long. That, or Lena was too preoccupied in focusing on each individual step. She drew her blaster as her companion paused by the door. They looked at each other, and with a sharp nod, her newfound ally shouldered the door open.

There was no one in the hanger, but Lena could hear the sound of metal on wood echoing behind them.

“ _Mother-fething_ —” The bartender shoved her out the door. “Head to the ship! They’re following us!”

Lena obeyed without a second thought. Her head was lighter than before, and if she stayed still for too long, darkness began to creep its way into the edges of her vision.

In front of her were two ships: one was relatively polished with orange and silver coloring and a Sicemonian emblem on it, and the other was a darker silver with blue lines and what looked to be a faded, half-painted-over logo of the old Republic.

Lena’s eyes widened as she drew closer to the old Republic ship. _This hunk of junk . . . belonged to a member of the Resistance?!_

She hadn’t expected her search for the Resistance to be so fruitful so fast, but if she stopped to think about it, she was going to die.

Lena felt a blast whiz past her cheek as she hobbled towards the ship and her heart skipped a beat. She whirled around and shot her first target: a patron from the bar leading the crowd of unruly, greedy bounty hunters and spies.

 _Where’s the damn bartender?_ Though, part of her felt ridiculous for still calling the woman such, because _clearly_ that wasn’t all she was.

“Don’t just stand there like a confused tauntaun! _Run!_ ” Lena was at the mercy of instinct as her arm was grabbed by the strange Resistance woman as said woman sprinted by.

The door to the ship lowered and Lena chanced a glance backwards under the heavy fire. It seemed like a small army was pursuing them into the hangar. A shot hit the ship by her head, and suddenly, Lena wasn’t so concerned with watching the crowd.

Her companion followed her up as the ramp closed, and she rushed to the cockpit, firing up the engine with practiced ease.

Lena hobbled as quickly as she could, and sat down in the seat beside her savior, buckling as the woman began flipping switches and checking diagnostics with familiarity.

So. She wasn’t just a bartender or a good shot: she was also a pilot.

It should’ve been obvious since this ship was evidently hers, but Lena wasn’t at her sharpest at the moment.

“Hold on!”

The ship shuddered as they took off, the sound of gunfire hitting the outside setting off warning lights on the console.

“I _know!_ ” the strange woman muttered gruffly to the small alarms as she steered the ship outside.

Before long, they were up in the sky. By the time they left the atmosphere, Lena released the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

“Tuskcat to Eagle Nest. Tuskcat to Eagle Nest. My flight got cut short. Bringing back a P4QR-T3. Intel of high importance. Over.”

The message was repeated twice more before they shot into hyperspace. Her savior flipped a switch then faced Lena with her arms crossed.

Lena swallowed, her vision swimming now that her body was coming down from her adrenaline high. “You’re part of the Resistance,” she observed, helpfully.

“And you just blew my cover and my mission.” There was an awkward pause. “And you’re Lena Luthor.”

Lena looked down at her lap. “I don’t know who I am anymore,” she said softly.

A hand was stuck into her space and she looked up to see her companion regarding her with a small smile. “I’m Maggie. Maggie Sawyer.”

Lena shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Then her eyes rolled back into her head and her world went dark.

* * *

 

**Devaron — Devaron System**

Smoke filled the air, vision was obscured by a milky screen, distant explosions made the earth tremble, fire was crackling its way from tree to tree, soldiers’ bodies littered the forest floor, and Kara Zor-El _relished_ in it.

Rhea’s words echoed in her head: _“Order can only spring from chaos. Balance requires the destruction of that which balance is absent within, and from the ashes will our Empire rise.”_

Balance. Order. Words the old Jedi order used to use to justify the protection of only those that shared inter contentment in sitting idly by while the galaxy ran amuck on its own. They were weak, they were naive. They feared true power, true freedom, and they were so self-concerned, they sat back while Krypton _burned._

An enemy soldier charged towards Kara with a roar and broken lance. She only had to glance at him for an invisible, rippling force pushed his body up and off the ground.

The crack of his skull on a nearby tree did nothing to stop Kara’s trek towards the main garrison.

Two soldiers jumped from the trees and with a quick flick of her wrist, her lightsaber was lit, and both were in halves on the ground.

These men didn’t seem to understand that she could sense them before they even moved, could _feel_ their emotions change before they even charged. She could easily wipe them from the face of this planet as she went, just as she could’ve flown straight to the garrison herself. But there was something about invoking helpless fear into her enemies that drove her to take the long route to her destination.

It didn’t matter, anyhow. She knew she was going to defeat anyone foolish enough to cross her path.

Kara stepped into the clearing by the entrance to the garrison, the hanger doors completely destroyed by her men. She took another step and paused, her ears pricked and her shoulders tensed.

She instinctively brought her saber up behind her to block a shot aimed for her head. The foliage nearby rustled as she turned around, and seven more soldiers came charging from all directions. Kara took in their soot-covered Empire uniforms and shook her head. Such insurrection was abominable. She stood straight, her saber lit in her hands and basked in the fear she felt permeating through the Force.

She rushed forwards faster than they could blink, grabbing a man with a hand on his throat. She crushed his windpipe, wasting no time in throwing him towards another oncoming soldier. With a quick spin on her feet, she swiped the legs off another two, their screams soon following.

Kara thrust her hand out to the side with a grunt, letting loose a powerful Force-blast, throwing all remaining three back into the trees. She walked by the soldier trapped under his comrade’s body, and, ignoring his pleas, drove her saber down straight through both bodies, silencing his begging.

It was over in moments.

She tensed her legs and jumped into the air towards where she knew the sniper to be. No. She _flew_.

She used the Force to move herself towards the sniper, landing on the small platform with a solid thud.

“ _Please_! We’re just trying to —”

“You people have been given plenty of opportunity,” Kara stated, her voice distorted in her mask. “Then you _dared_ to feed the Empire false information, creating maps and gather intel about places that don’t exist and contain the absence of those that do.” She ignited the blade on her saber, the red glow dancing on the man’s horrified face.

“No, no, no, no, _please_ , please, pl —”

His head was detached from his body before his next breath.

Before long, the entire garrison was destroyed, and the fire was spreading through one of the many beautiful forests covering the surface of Devaron.

“General Zor-El! The Captain in charge, as you requested, ma’am.”

Kara turned from the communications console in the main control room as a young man was thrown down to her feet.

He coughed up some blood onto the tile, refusing to look up. Kara’s blood surged at the insubordinate and grabbed his hair, forcing him to look at her.

“ _Captain Grant,_ ” Kara all but snarled.

She saw his eyes flicker towards her saber before looking at the eyes of her mask. “General,” he responded through a smile. Blood seeped from between his teeth.

Kara tightened the grip on his scalp, pulling him up more, her jaw clenched. “I fail to see the humor in the situation, Captain. You’ve angered the Empress, and by extension, you’ve angered _me_.”

The man chuckled again, despite his uncomfortable position. “The Empress seems to fail to see that unlike the Empire, we are not reliant on a single person. Lex Luthor may have killed Kal-El —”

Kara’s fist gripped his hair impossibly tight at the name, and she three him forcefully onto the ground. Her Force-enhanced strength knocked the breath out of the Captain and he coughed more blood up onto his Empire uniform.

“— but,” he continued with labored breath, “that only fueled the fire. Rhea is surprised when there’s insubordination, but she should _expect_ it.”

Kara ignited her saber, using every ounce of self-control not to crush its handle in her fingers. “You mistake my cousin’s influence for martyrdom. He foolishly joined the people who abandoned his and refused to use the full power of Rao flowing through his veins.”

Captain Grant sat up against a console, holding his side and coughing in pain. “He may have been a fool, and the old Republic wasn’t perfect. But he had _kriffing_ heart. Something I don’t think you’ve ever known.” He smiled crookedly. “The things you could do as a daughter of Krypton . . .”

Kara ripped off her mask and knelt down in front of the dying man, holding her blade impossibly close to his throat. Both of their faces were illuminated by the red glow and the hum seemed to hover ominously around them.

She relished in the fear that flashed through his eyes as he looked at her mask-less face.

“I have and will _always_ be a daughter of Krypton. Kal-El was sent as an infant to train with the _Jedi_ ,” she spat the word, “and so he _never_ knew his heritage. His _people._ He. Was. A. _Fraud_.”

The Captain seemed to be listening to her. He blinked and swallowed bravely. “You’re wrong. H-he was a _hero_.”

Kara felt the roar bellowing in her chest before the sound registered in her ears. She felt her face cool down from an intense flaring heat, and, as her men eyed her with fear, she knew the glowing red in her veins was slowly seeping away.

The headless body fell to the floor, and the console he had been held against was melted, smoking metal.

Kara grabbed her mask and stood up, avoiding looking at the product of her uncontrollable rage. “Broadcast his death across all frequencies. I want the Resistance to _feel_ it. I want them to know we are closing in. And I want General Catherine Grant to feel _crippled_ under the weight of the knowledge that her hubris came at the price of the life of her first-born.”

As she stalked out of the building, she felt old memories of an old home bubbling to the surface. Memories of a family, of a civilization beyond what anyone would ever believe, let along understand. Then, memories of fire. Explosions. Gas. Screams. Being crammed into a pod. A quick kiss from her parents. Emptiness. Darkness. Then: _Rhea_.

Her master had always taught her to bask in those memories, to let them fuel her. But she had yet to be able to do it well. It was always too painful, always too fresh.

Kara clenched her jaw as she stepped into the sunlight and jumped into the sky, headed towards her ship.

Maybe it would always be too painful. Lex Luthor was far from her favorite person, but he had done her a favor in eliminating her cousin. He made her realize what it meant to be a true Kryptonian. He eliminated her last link to her own weakness.

She was the Last Kryptonian.

And, since there was no other option before her, it seemed that that was all she was ever going to be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are picking up, I promise. 
> 
> {the tags *do* say "slow burn" and that's not just with the Supercorp lol}

**_Rebel HQ — Unknown System_ **

_“I can’t believe you brought her_ here _! Do you know what could happen if you were wrong?! Do you know what the General would say?!”_

_“Alex, calm down. For the last time, this is where we hold our most threatening prisoners, she never tried to kill me, and I’m pretty sure she’s just as scared as all of us at this point.”_

_“You were supposed to be on Sicemon for another month! You literally threw away your mission for . . .”_

Lena heard the hushed, intense whispers of the argument happening on the other side of the door before she even opened her eyes. She took in the medical equipment, the white, sterile sheets and winced. She didn’t deserve this type of treatment. Not before they heard her story.

She made to sit up and felt resistance at her left leg. Lena pulled back the sheets to look at the bandages around her knee and upper-shin before letting herself fall back onto the bed.

She stared blankly at the ceiling while she tried to think and listen in on more of the conversation outside her door, but she could only hear the faint murmur of voices now. Her hands flew to her forehead as she shut her eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by her actions.

She’d accomplished her goal of _finding_ the rebels, but as for convincing them of her true, honest defection from the other side, _especially_ with her last name . . . Then there was the issue of her newfound abilities . . .

The door swung open violently and a tall, attractive, very serious red-head marched up to her bed, followed by an apologetic Maggie Sawyer. Lena sat up best she could as the newcomer loomed over her, looking imposing in all black with a very clearly displayed blaster on her hip.

“What’s your game, Luthor?” the woman asked threateningly.

“ _Alex_ ,” Maggie chastised immediately.

Alex took a step back, crossing her arms and glaring at Lena who was now looking at her lap.

“I . . .” Lena took a deep breath and looked Alex in the eye. “My name is Lena Luthor, daughter of the Chancellor of the New Empire. I have seen the terrible things my family and Rhea’s empire have done and after my brother killed Kal-El . . . I couldn’t sit back and watch them continue to run the galaxy over with fear and darkness.”

Lena swallowed, sudden tears springing to her eyes at the memory of her brother. Of how he tried to kill her that night. “I have valuable inside information, I’m good with machinery, and I promise I’ll do whatever I can to right their wrongs.”

Alex was silent during her speech, while Maggie was giving her a look of support and maybe even pride. It was odd that the shorter rebel was so willing to help her so easily, but something inside Lena told her that Maggie was absolutely trustworthy.

“What did your contact with Rhea look like?” Alex asked, not moving an inch.

Lena had expected something like this to be asked. “I never talked to her alone or outside of a formal setting. She was always at my mother’s banquets, but she favored my brother.”

_Everyone else did as well._

“And her apprentice? Kara Zor-El?” Alex pressed. A flash of something akin to desperation flickered in her eyes.

Lena blinked, not expecting this from her interrogator.

“She . . . she was always on mission or training. No one was allowed to speak to her unless she or Rhea came to you specifically, and even then, if that happened, chances are you wouldn’t make it out alive.” Lena remembered the rumors and whispers that followed her around the Luthor grounds whenever Rhea and her puppet would visit. The way Lex raved about the abilities of the Dark Jedi in the same way he ranted about those of Kal-El.

She had heard of Kara Zor-El’s ruthlessness, the way she cut through enemies like they were grass. How her powers, just like her cousin, were unmatched, kissed by Rao. She’d also heard of and read about the destruction of her home planet. How the now sith had been trapped in the Phantom Zone for _years_. How Rhea had found her, and how she had risen to power with hate in her soul.

Lena had only gotten a glimpse of her once, exiting her mother’s office with the Empress. The emotionless red eyes of her mask had stared at her briefly before deciding her uninteresting and leaving down the corridor.

Maggie stepped forwards, and put a hand on Alex’s arm. “Hey.”

Alex let her arms fall to her side. She was more subdued, but still eyed Lena with distrust. “When the General gets here, she’ll decide what to do with you. But until then, keep out of trouble and keep your leg elevated.”

She left the room without another word and Lena looked over at Maggie who’s gaze followed the redhead with concern and sadness.

“I love her, and I worry about her.” Maggie sighed. “You better get some rest. The General isn’t a very . . . easy person to handle, and she’s already going to be angry about my mission.”

Lena nodded, at a loss for words to say. She lay back and heard Maggie leave the room and the door shut behind her. She closed her eyes feeling a tear run down her face. If only her last name weren’t such a curse — if it didn’t carry the weight of millions of _lives_ behind it . . . the life of the Jedi’s symbol of hope . . . she felt herself dozing off . . .

After an indefinite amount of time, Lena’s eyes were flying open as two rebel soldiers grabbed her arms and hoisted her up and off the bed. She cried out when her injured leg slammed into the tile, but allowed them to take her out of the room and down the hall.

Apart from her rude awakening, she wasn’t surprised that whoever wanted to see her (most likely the General) didn’t want talk with her in the comfort of a hospital bed. It would destroy the intimidating atmosphere, Lena thought wryly.

She was thrust into a room guarded on either side, through a sliding metal door. It looked to be a war room: a large oval table with seats all around and a giant screen on the far wall. The sound of boots on the ground made her look up from where she sat on her knees.

Immediately, Lena knew a few things about the woman in front of her. One: she may have appeared slight, but her presence filled the entire room. Two: she wasn’t going to beat around the bush and didn’t expect Lena to either, and three: this woman wasn’t just a General. She was the General. General —

“Cat Grant,” Lena breathed unintentionally.

The General rolled her eyes. “Yes, I think that’s obvious. Now tell me: why is a small girl like yourself at my doorstep, practically _begging_ to be let in like a stray dog when I have wars to fight and your family to destroy?”

“I —”

“Better yet,” Cat began pacing. Lena sat up, following her with her eyes, noticing Maggie and Alex in the corner of the room. “Why are _you_ here at all, Ms. _Luthor_? You look like a tauntaun dragged through a desert, and that’s putting it lightly. Obviously you _meant_ to show up here.”

“I want to offer my services to the Resistance. I . . . Lillian and Lex are ruthless, destructive, and they’re trying to pursue galactic peace in the wrong way. I just want to make that right.” Lena swallowed, unable to meet the General’s gaze. She didn’t know why she hadn’t brought up her Force-sensitivity, but it just didn’t feel like the appropriate time.

Cat Grant stared down at her for a few moments. “You’re telling the truth,” she observed. “But you’re also hiding something else,” she added matter-of-factly.

Lena flinched as if struck, but didn’t look up or say anything. She could tell Cat now, but that would only make her more of a danger and, right now, she wasn’t exactly out of the woods yet.

“No matter,” the General said. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready. But, if you can understand, you cost my men intel and a very important weapons deal on Sicemon with your little _appearance_ , despite your turncoat ways.” She waited until Lena looked up and met her steel gaze. “I’m going to put you in holding until my advisor gets here. Until then you will be questioned about anything and everything you know about the Empire. I will see what to do with you after. Good? Good.” She snapped her fingers at Maggie and Alex. “Sawyer. Danvers. Take her to the hold. I would do it but that place is incredibly filthy. J’onn will want to talk to her when he gets back from his mission, and _I_ want to talk to _you_ when you’re finished, Sawyer.”

Maggie managed to smile sheepishly at the glaring, imposing woman.

Lena felt it was safe to say she was more than a little confused.

* * *

 

The hold, as she found out, was far from pleasant. Even worse, it was far from terrible, it was just horrendous. She was surrounded by the reeking smell of piss and body odor and some fumes that she was _sure_ were toxic.

In the hold were about 25 other prisoners. Or people waiting their line in the queue to be questioned by the Resistance. Lena figured they were pretty high up or special if they were being held here. Wherever they were.

She rolled her eyes at herself. Only now was she thinking about where they are holding her. She glanced around the large, concrete room. The sounds of murmured conversations and the scraping of boots on the floor echoed around the chamber. Barely large enough to hold a cargo ship, she was a little worried what would happen if they decided to bring more people in.

Lena scanned the large, metal door for a possible way out, then stopped herself. She didn’t want trouble. She wanted them to _trust_ her so that she could actually _do_ the thing she came here to do.

“Hey, lady!”

She slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her leg was barely healed enough to _not_ need medical attention, she had _just_ escaped a band of greedy men wanting her head on a platter (no thanks to her mother), and the General of the rebel forces didn’t want to trust her, and yet she still couldn’t escape her own _kriffing_ luck.

Lena turned, where she stood against the wall in what she had deemed the cleanest corner of the hold. The man who had addressed her stalked up to her, average looking, covered in grime she knew she didn’t want to touch.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her voice scratchy from lack of water, sleep, and use.

“Why’re they holding you in here? Eh?” He faced her with a broad stance, arms crossed across his chest. He looked far too arrogant for a man captured in war.

When Lena got a break from assholes like this, she would gain the ability to fly.

“I figure we’re all here for similar reason, I doubt it would make much of a difference if I tell you why I’m here or not,” Lena responded, not taking her eyes off him for a second. She didn’t trust this man as far as she could throw him. And if she were honest, she didn’t even know how far that even was.

He chuckled as if she had said something cute. She noticed the men beginning to circle her and suddenly, she was terrifyingly aware of the fact that she was the lone female in the room.

“Maxwell Lord. I’m sure you’ve heard of me, _Lena Luthor_.”

Oh, she had. She’d heard of his lack of conscience when it came to dealing under the table, or cutting people loose that he’d held close. She knew he valued his money and his company more than her mother loved Lex, and that was something else already. She also knew that Lillian had thrown him out of business after he tried to do her dirty — forged some papers, trying to get the Luthors to essentially hand him a couple million credits. She hadn’t known the Resistance had gotten him, and from the looks of it, he’d been there a long while.

She eyed the camera in the far corner of the room. He was either frustratingly cocky, or the biggest idiot alive, and she was willing to bet on both.

“Word doesn’t take its time traveling down the grapevine, I see,” she replied steadily, keeping her chin high.

“Mother dearest finally cut you loose? No. That can’t be it. Because _I_ heard you’re worth a couple of freighters at the moment, and I’m wondering what you’re doing hiding in the hold of a rebel base.” He laughed. “You’re probably safer with the Chancellor and her son than here.”

She felt the energy in the room shift and the hairs on her neck stood up in warning. She took in the predatory stances and looks of the men drawing nearer and swallowed. “You’re threatening my life here? With that camera over there watching you? That’s real bold of you, Lord, even for a two-timing business man like yourself.”

“Do you know how long these men have been waiting to get their hands on a Luthor? Do you have any _idea_ what this war has cost us?!” His voice rose with every word spoken.

She took a step back. “I am _not_ my family, and I don’t want any trouble. Whatever grievances you have with Lillian and Lex, I promise you I understand. Ok? I understand.”

Suddenly his hand was around her throat and squeezing like he meant it. As her vision began to blue, she was convinced he did.

“I don’t think you do,” he said lowly. “My parents were killed on their command. Some of the men here? Their _planets_ have been destroyed in the name of the Empire and while I think the Resistance is an idiot band of optimistic underdogs, I think that while they’re still around, it gives us a second chance.”

“ _S-stop_ —” Lena choked out.

“Such a beautiful face. It’s a shame.” Lord jerked his head and a large man with a torn shirt came up. He smiled and began unbuckling his pants.

Lena felt white-hot fear flash through her entire being. “Please . . .”

She felt the walls closing in, the men seemingly impossibly close. Oxygen was slowly puttering out of her system until she wasn’t just choking, she was desperately gasping for air, her legs began kicking, and her eyes were wide. She began to see blackness. It was closing in on her steadily . . .

“ _Stop!_ ”

Suddenly, she was on the floor breathing air in gulps. Lena coughed, her vision still swimming asarms grabbed hers and pulled her up and began dragging her towards the door. She got a glimpse of unconscious bodies crammed against the far wall from where she’d stood before the door closed and she was in a corridor bustling with activity.

Everyone was in rebel uniform, everyone was headed towards something. Lena gathered her bearings to look into the eyes of none other than Alex Danvers, who now not only eyed her with suspicion, but weariness.

“What the _hell_?!” Lena hissed, grabbing Alex by the lapels of her outer jacket.

“Stand down, Ms. Luthor. This wasn’t Captain Danvers’ fault. It was mine.” A dark-skinned, stern looking man with rigid posture and an aura of seriousness around him stepped forwards. Lena glanced to his right and saw General Cat Grant standing, watching.

Lena released Alex roughly, ignoring the taller woman’s glare as she stepped back.

“What was _that_?” Lena pointed towards the door she’d been dragged out of. “What kind of _madmen_ are you?! I told you the truth! I never said anything that warranted that sort of imprisonment!”

The dark-skinned man crossed his arms, patiently waiting for her to finish. His robes swayed with his movement, and Lena’s eyes caught the reflection of something shiny at his hip.

She blanched at the sight. “You . . . you’re . . .”

“And so are you, or could be.”

Lena swallowed at the idea. The insinuation. The . . . implications.

She rounded on General Grant. “You put me there on purpose! You could have put me in solitary and you didn’t!”

The General rolled her eyes. “Well, _yes_. It was obvious you weren’t telling me everything and considering your family history, only one thing could drive you to run away and cause them to as for your head — don’t look at me like that, it’s not becoming — so I figured: ‘Why not put you with the filthy lot and test my hypothesis?’ Ms. Luthor, you did not disappoint.”

Lena stared at the three in front of her in disbelief. She felt her heartbeat pounding in her ears as her body slowed down from her near-death experience.

She had heard of Cat Grant’s unorthodox methods, but to have been a part of them herself — she was starting to understand why the Empire had yet to corner the woman.

Lena blinked, her gaze going over Alex Danvers’ iron gaze before looking at the man again. “I . . . I thought the Jedi fled.”

He tilted his head. “Most did. The rest stayed with the Resistance. Our job is to gain political alliances, protect the parts of our confederation that are in need, and to find and collect as many Force-sensitive people out there as we can before Rhea or your family can get to them.” He glanced at Cat and Alex. “I must admit, I didn’t expect one of our supposed enemy to show up at our doorstep with this ability running through her blood.”

Lena looked at her feet. She looked up with what she hoped looked brave. Looked confident. She lifted her chin with the Luthor — no — the _Lena_ pride she knew she still had.

“My family is consumed with their own goals and profits, and their way is not the way towards order — they’ve already destroyed it. I chose to leave because I didn’t want to be a part of it. I didn’t want to be another face people saw and ran away from. I’m just a woman trying to make something of herself outside of her family. I just hope you can understand that.”

Lena swallowed thickly, feeling her eyes begin to water. When the three still stood there, watching she looked down, then up at Alex, meeting the taller woman’s steely gaze bravely. “My own brother looked me in the eyes and ordered his men to kill me. My mother has looked at me my entire life like I had shamed the Luthor name simply by breathing.”

Lena clenched her jaw and looked at the man who was studying her with an unreadable expression. “It wasn’t until the night I left that I learned that my mother wasn’t even my mother. My father had had an affair on a business trip to one of the remote sectors. He brought me in and then he died. I have nothing left to fight for but for my own sense of justice. Of what’s right. And I’d like to do that. For a change.”

The man looked at the General who gave a sigh and a nod.

He faced her and held out a hand. Lena slowly shook it.

“My name is J’onn J’onzz. You have great potential, Lena Luthor. And I apologize for forcing your hand, but we needed all cards on the table. You have to be one hundred percent honest with us if we are to trust you, do you understand?”

Lena nodded once. She did. She really did.

“Frankly, this has taken enough of my time.” General Grant pulled a little device from her pocket and looked at it before sighing and putting it back. “Captain Danvers, I’m leaving Ms. Luthor’s care in your hands. Master J’onn has her for training purposes, but I trust you to show her how to pull her weight around here.”

“But General, ma’am, I have the Flash mission to deal with, and Winn still has to hack the ship’s communications and —” Alex stopped in her tracks when Cat spun on her heel and marched up to her. The two women were face-to-face.

“Ms. Luthor is more than capable of helping in multiple capacities. She’s your responsibility. Yours and that estranged . . . whatever she is to you, _Sawyer_. We’ve lost important ground with her leaving Sicemon.” Cat left no room for argument when she turned and marched down the hall, barking at cleaning droid who’d stopped in the middle of her path.

Alex made eye contact with a wide-eyed Lena once more before groaning and marching off in the opposite direction. That left Lena and J’onn in a far less busy hallway.

“So . . . you’re going to train me?” Lena asked slowly.  
“You have a great connection with the Force. To use it so instinctively in connection with your emotions like you did is telling to what you could be capable of in the future — both good and bad. It’s up to me to make sure you are able to face your demons and see the light.” J’onn strode past her and Lena followed him, not quite knowing what else to do.

“When are we starting?”

He cocked an eyebrow at her over his shoulder. “Now.”

* * *

 

**Space**

Kara Zor-El stared at the stars, enjoying the quiet. It was rare that she got time on her own. Rare when she was left alone to her own devices.

She struggled to remember a time when her actions, her path hadn’t been laid out before her. She was but a child, ignorantly tossed into a family she’d thought she could love. And for a time, she did. Then, they too were a casualty of the war and destruction that seemed to follow her.

Kara closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She exhaled.

Her fight wasn’t just for Krypton. It wasn’t just for the Rao system. It was for the Danvers family. Who’s house went up in fire and smoke just like the rest of them on the peaceful planet of Midvale.

Families who deserved peace — the only way towards that peace was to destroy those that fought against the Empire’s unification and purification. The rebels didn’t understand that they were trying to _help_.

“ _They don’t understand_ ,” she whispered aloud to herself in her native tongue. No one did. She was alone, even when she was constantly surrounded.

She sensed her caretaker’s presence before the doors behind her hissed open. Rhea’s boots clacked on the slick tile as she approached Kara. The Empress looked up at the stars next to her ward.

“It’s peaceful.”

Kara merely grunted.

“Lex Luthor has sent us a message that has piqued my interest.” Rhea held up a hand when Kara looked at her in concern. “Nothing trifling, just something we should keep on our radar. Lena Luthor has run away from home, it seems. With her brilliant mind out there for the galaxy to have, it’s only a matter of time before the Resistance gets her.”

Kara looked back at the stars. She never talked with the young Luthor. She’d seen her in passing, of course, but had never paid much attention. There was always something that had to be done.

“Does she know anything that could compromise our mission?” Kara asked plainly.

“There’s no way of knowing. But something had to have happened to make her disappear under the cover of night like she did.” Rhea’s eyes hadn’t left Kara’s face.

“What are you insinuating?”

“It was but a couple months ago that Kal-El was defeated by the eldest Luthor sibling,” Rhea stated. “Something has made her nervous in that time frame. I’m just trying to prepare for the worst.”

Kara looked at Rhea with a furrowed brow. “You think she has Force-abilities.”

Rhea kept her gaze level. “I’m just trying to cover all possible ground in preparation for the worst,” she repeated.

Kara knew what Rhea was asking of her. It was always this sort of thing when it came to known Jedi. Her Kryptonian abilities allowed her to reach further and push harder on individual’s minds with the energy of the Force than most if not everyone.

For her it just took a few days of meditation. Then, after she was in their head, it was a matter of going to where they hid and eliminating them from the war for good.

“I’ll look for her. But,” Kara’s voice stopped Rhea before she turned away, “only if I can get more rubrium before my next mission. My head has begun acting up again as of late.”

Rhea paused before nodding. “Of course.”

With a flap of her robes, Rhea’s footsteps faded until the hissing of the door marked her exit. Kara sighed and stared up at the stars.

She didn’t like remembering her old life. She didn’t like the pain and the sorrow that came with it.

The _fear_.

Kal-El leaving was a blessing — it had made her bond with the Dark Side that much stronger. But it had also left her with a gap in her soul that she couldn’t explain, and hadn’t tried to. Not aloud, and especially not to Rhea. No, the rubrium helped her. It gave fuel to the anger and the loathing she failed to use on her own.

Kara gritted her teeth and a pulse went out from her person angrily, knocking over a few nearby desks. She was weak. She was no better than Kal-El.

No. No, she had to be better than him. No one was going to best her in some technologically modified armor like that spoiled Luthor heir, _Lex_. She was going to prove herself to Rhea that her master hadn’t chosen wrongly.

She had to.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ**

“This is ridiculous!” Lena stood from the cushion on the floor and furiously poured herself a glass of water.

J’onn didn’t move from where he sat. “You’re being impatient. You cannot expect immediate results.”

Lena downed her glass in a single gulp and sat down in front of him again. “We’ve been here for hours. And it didn’t work yesterday either.”

Yesterday being the day Cat Grant tried to kill her by sticking her in a room full of vengeful criminals.

“The Force is energy. It’s all around you, it’s constantly moving, constantly flowing. You’re trying to pinpoint it, to calculate where it will be next or what it will do for you. You need to let your mind relax, to flow, to —”

“‘Feel the energy instead of meet it’, yes I know.” Lena massaged the bridge of her nose in frustration. She was beginning to understand why it was so easy for some Jedi to lose their way to their emotions. Not that she thought that letting your emotions free-reign was an automatic ticket to the Dark Side. There were deliberate choices involved with a transition like that.

But still. She could understand it. This was frustrating and she hadn’t even started yet.

J’onn rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked at her. She wished she could tell what he was thinking. Often times, she believed he knew what was going through _her_ mind.

“It’s the Force,” he said into the silence of the room. Lena must have made a face because he elaborated. “The way I can feel your emotions and questions. My people were specifically attuned to empathic reading through the Force. It doesn’t take much more than inference to guess your thoughts.”

There was a pause.

“I want you to think about the things of your past that have given you strife and I want you to focus on making peace with them,” J’onn said slowly.

Lena scoffed. Her entire _life_ had been strife. And to make peace with them? She didn’t think she could forgive and forget the way her family had treated her growing up. The pressures she endured, the neglect and the darkness. Her mother, her _brother_.

“Not to forget them or dismiss them,” J’onn continued patiently, “but to see that they happened and accept that they happened, and that there is nothing you can do now to change that. I believe you have many things holding you back from connecting fully with the Force, things that force your connection when you have intense feelings or are under intense pressure. You cannot rely on those instances to utilize the Force. Doing so is dangerous and can quickly spiral out of control.”

Lena didn’t have to ask to understand what he was implying. “So . . . once I can connect with the Force . . . what then?”

J’onn gave a small smile but didn’t answer.

Lena sighed and closed her eyes, forcing her body to relax. She breathed carefully, her mind flashing through more and more memories of things she made an effort not to think about. People who had shaped the walls she’d intentionally built up.

Her mind flashed to that windy night her brother had tried to stop her from running away. The times when Lillian had drilled her on the politics of the Empire. The way she hid in her father’s old shed to tinker with machinery, modified his weapons that now permeated the galaxy.

“Relax.” J’onn’s voice washed over her.

She realized her shoulders had bunched up, sweat was gathering on her brow. Lena let out a shaky breath, letting her shoulders drop.

There was a memory buried far back in the recesses of her mind. A memory far from the life of isolation and shame the Luthors had placed upon her. A face smiling down at her. A hand softly holding hers. Laughter. Warmth.

Suddenly, like a punch to the gut, she knew it was her mother. Her _real_ mother. A half there face, but the feelings associated with it . . .

And then she understood. She understood that the things of her life had made her, built her, _shaped_ her. They may not have all been good, but they had happened, and she had come out of the quagmire stronger and steadier than she had thought possible.

Lena had vowed to make something of the goodness she so desperately desired. To make right what her family had made wrong. To be a light in suffocating darkness. And she had the means to do it, they were just buried under the weight of the life she had lived.

 _“That’s it_ ,” J’onn’s voice sounded from far off.

Suddenly, Lena felt a heartbeat — a life-force. Not physically, not through her natural senses. But it was the closest she could get to describing it. Across from her. A steady life-force. Tired. Sad. But good.

 _J’onn_.

Lena felt her heart race in excitement. She was doing it! She was actually using the Force for something other than self-defense!

She pushed her parameters. People all throughout the base, anxious, worried, focused. Lena felt a glimpse of Cat Grant’s grief over her son, and her determination to end this war, she pushed farther, saw a flash of hidden fear and pain.

Lena’s brow furrowed as she searched out the person she was most curious about. She felt the hinges of Alex Danvers’ presence on a different wing of the base. The effort made her head pound, but she _had_ to know.

She couldn’t help the involuntary gasp of air escaping her as if someone had stuck a knife in her chest. _Sorrow_ like nothing she’d ever felt before. _Loss_. _Desperation_.

Then she was standing in a field of grass. Countryside it looked like. The planet seemed . . . peaceful. She heard laughter from behind her and she turned, seeing a homely . . . home. Two girls running around, chasing each other, laughing. The fence line gave way to more hills, a cliff. Lena could smell salt water in the air.

“Why are you on Midvale?” came a low voice from behind her.

Lena turned around, feeling strangely . . . not threatened at the suddenness of the moment. There was something about this place, about _knowing_ that this was the Force rather than her actual self. Part of her understood that her physical body was sitting in a small room on a cushion in front of her Jedi master.

She saw a woman slightly taller than herself, much more lithely built, strong in the shoulders, narrow at the hips with beautiful blue eyes, blonde hair that was loosely put up. She was wearing loose, white garments, somewhat of a variation of J’onn’s Jedi robes. In short: Lena was stunned. She’d never seen her before, but part of her couldn’t help but feel like this woman was familiar.

“Why are you on Midvale?” the woman asked again, her voice tense. Lena took note of her stance, the way her shoulders were tensed, the furrow in her brow, the steel in her eyes. She still didn’t feel threatened.

There was something about the look in the woman’s eyes as she watched the girls play . . .

“I . . . I didn’t even know that’s what this was.” Lena said honestly. She looked back at the house. “I thought the Midterran System got destroyed when the —”

“It did.” The answer was short.

“ _Alexandra Danvers you do_ not _grab your sister by the neck!”_ yelled a woman from the door of the house.

The taller of the two children jumped off her sister who looked unfazed by the whole thing. She looked at the woman indignantly.

“It won’t hurt her! Kara’s practically invincible!” She was soon tackled by the smaller girl and they both dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Lena paused. _Kara_. Kara, she had said. _Alex Danvers?_ What . . . She slowly looked at the woman who’d appeared behind her — the one who could see her. Lena was far from clueless, and she had been trained from childhood to be as observant as a human could possibly be in the ways of body language and tells. This woman . . . this woman was watching the children like they had told her they were destined to die and there was nothing she could do to change it . . .

There was only one Kara that Lena knew of. That the rest of the _galaxy_ knew of. Since she had risen into power, it was dangerous for a mother to name her daughter that name, thus it was pretty rare as of late.

“You’re . . . and that’s . . . you’re both Kara Zor-El.” Lena couldn’t help the way she stumbled over her words. She didn’t know if she was right, but as soon as she made the observation out loud, she knew.

The woman’s — Kara’s — eyes still held steely coolness when she looked at Lena. Her back straight.

“Does that scare you?”

Lena paused. “Right now, no.”

Kara eyed her curiously. “Why are we in Midvale?”

“Why are you with the Cap — Alex Danvers?” Lena shot back immediately.

“You speak as if you know her,” Kara began threateningly. In this close vicinity, even in the peaceful environment, Lena felt a flash of fear. It was no wonder people scattered at the sight of Rhea’s apprentice.

Lena clenched her jaw. She didn’t want to give away any critical information. The Resistance had let her in _yesterday_. And now the Force had sent her to the place of one of their high value enemies. She couldn’t blow her chance so close to starting out.

But something must have shown in her eyes because Kara’s went wide in response, looking to the world as if someone had sucked the air from her lungs.

To Lena’s utter confusion those closed-off blue eyes were now staring at the house, at the scene with tears welling in her eyes.

“She’s _alive_?!”

Lena barely heard the words, they were said so softly.

“No. No. _No!_ ” Kara rounded on Lena who immediately tried to step back. “ _You lie_!”

Kara grabbed Lena’s wrist and pulled her close. “You run away from your family, then _dare_ try to, to _lure_ me in with your tricks,” she snarled in Lena’s face. “How do you know about me?”

Lena didn’t answer, trying to focus on getting back to J’onn’s training room.

 _“Who told you about Alex Danvers?!”_ Kara roared, some spit flying into Lena’s face.

Lena focused on the first life-force she had sensed when she had entered her meditation, J’onn’s heartbeat, his breathing. She fought past the fear, and looked Kara in the eyes.

“She did.”

Then Lena was on J’onn’s floor, gasping as if she had been submerged under water, her eyes flying open. The contrast between the openness of Midvale and the stone walls of the room she was in now was incredible.

“What did you see?” J’onn asked, concerned. “I sensed a darkness near you. I am pleased you have connected with the Force, but I am concerned as to what that entails for —”

“She was looking for me,” Lena interrupted him, grabbing some more water, not minding when some of it spilled down her chin, coming her sweaty skin. “Kara Zor-El. Kal-El’s cousin.”

J’onn’s eyebrows raised as he got to his feet. “She found you? I knew Kryptonians were Force-attuned, but I never knew they could achieve such a connection with someone they’ve never met before.”

Lena’s brow furrowed as she tried to wrap her mind around what she’d witnessed. It seemed she should start getting used to this: unexpected things happening to her on the regular. “I . . . I need to talk to Alex Danvers.”

J’onn shook his head. “Lena, our first priority is making sure you know how to properly shield your mind from this kind of thing. If those on the Dark Side were to get into your head, to see where you were, where the Resistance was . . . we cannot risk it. Otherwise we will be forced to send you back.”

Lena clenched her fists and looked at the wall. “I know. I,” she sighed and looked at her new master, “I have to talk to Alex Danvers. I’ll be back, I promise. I just . . . I need to, J’onn.” She was pleading with him now.

J’onn paused then nodded once, curtly.

Lena sprinted out of the room, racing towards where she’d last sensed Alex. She didn’t have a plan, she didn’t even know how long ago it was she had even pinpointed Alex’s whereabouts.

But she needed answers.

She had to tell Alex what she’d seen.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The set-up is almost done. Next chapter: the action.

**Kessel — Kessel System**

Kara felt a grim satisfaction when her foot connected with her opponent’s jaw, sending him to the ground like a sack of potatoes. She panted with the exertion of the fight, eyeing the four other bodies lying unconscious on the ground from her training.

The sunlight was overbearing, the heat doing nothing more than trapping the mining fumes in the air around her. She had shed her outer robes and her boots a while back, leaving her in an armless tunic tucked into her pants. Sometimes, the physical exertion of simple combat practice was enough to get her mind off of her personal demons who seemed to have recently surfaced for the sole purpose of haunting her. Mocking her.

Kara had spent the better part of a month avoiding her caretaker. It was dangerous to be in the presence of your master when all you wanted to do was strangle them. After her search for Lena Luthor had led her to the fledgling Force-user, their connection, which was overwhelmingly, and impossibly clear and strong, had escalated until Lena had broken the connection herself.

Her . . . _Alex Danvers_ was alive. _Alive_.

And, if Lena’s body language had said anything, they knew one another. Kara didn’t know for how long, but her guess was that it had been a recent introduction.

Did that mean Lena had found the Resistance or vice versa? Did that mean that Alex was a part of the rebels Kara had spent so much of her career seeking to obliterate?

After she had gotten over her initial shock, Kara had found her master talking with the admiral of the ship on the bridge, and had tersely asked for a private audience.

She had angrily questioned her master, who, in turn, gave vague, roundabout answers. This had prompted Kara’s anger to bubble up, exploding in shouting and the involuntary crushing of nearby objects — the Force reacting to her emotions.

Rhea had lied to her outright when she had declared Midvale totally destroyed. No, not that. The Danvers family. She had told Kara that she knew without a doubt that the Danvers family was destroyed. Gone. Dead.

A fatal casualty of the Luthors’ expansion of business and the people refusing. The skirmish was only supposed to be brief, but ended just like Krypton did: with great destruction. And the Jedi? They had done nothing.

Kara had made it very clear to both Lillian and Lex Luthor that the last thing she wanted was to be associated with them. But the Empire always came first, so she had been forced to be patient.

Rhea had sent her on an overseer assignment, to serve as an incentive to hasten the mining being done on Kessel. And, most likely, to get Kara as far away from her as possible, because she could sense the growing distrust and hatred.

_“It was necessary for you to believe their deaths were concrete in order for you to fulfill your full potential as an asset of the Empire.”_

_“So that’s all I am?! An ‘_ asset _’?!”_

 _“No, but that’s what you began as until I saw you as more. Don’t you see, my child? It was_ necessary _. And I can assure you, that until now, I had genuinely believed them dead myself_.”

Kara didn’t know what to believe. As far as she knew, Rhea hadn’t lied to her ever before.

“That was very impressive, General,” came a timid voice from behind her.

Kara whirled around, ready to smack the invader of her personal thoughts to the opposite side of the canyon before she remembered that she had asked this . . . _boy_ to update her on anything important while she was ‘training’.

She decided on grunting her response as she unwrapped the cloth wrapped around her hands. “I’m sure there’s a reason you’ve come.” The underlying threat was not lost on the young messenger.

“N-no, ma’am. Uh, the Colonel says that we don’t have to move the mine again. We’ve located Isotope 454.”

Kara smiled and the boy shrunk back. “Excellent. Tell him to start mining as soon as possible. We can’t have the Empire waiting much longer.”

The boy saluted and left.

Kara felt more than saw or heard the men she’d beaten down regain their consciousness and grabbed her robes. She put on her boots and left them to their own devices, marching straight towards her quarters.

She passed multiple soldiers, all of which saluted her as she passed, none of them making direct eye contact. Not that she wanted them to anyway. It was just another reminder of the isolation power had put upon her.

Kara soon arrived at her quarters, closing the door behind her as she dropped her robes on her bed. She sat on a small mat facing the wall, where a small table, not even a foot off the ground, held two candles and some incense.

She sat cross legged, her eyes closed, her posture straight, shoulders back. Kara inhaled slowly, trying to assuage the rage that always lay underneath. The rage Rhea said fueled her power.

Kara didn’t want her power right now. She just wanted peace. She wanted . . . _something_. Answers? Understanding?

It would be so _easy_ to seek out the youngest Luthor once more and demand answers. But . . . she couldn’t give into weakness. She couldn’t . . . she didn’t know if she could handle the things that Lena could tell her. But Kara hadn’t admitted that truth to herself yet.

She couldn’t.

 _“Rao, give me peace_ ,” she murmured in her native tongue.

The memories she’d boxed off so long ago began to seep out into her consciousness. Memories of laughter. Of belonging. Of red hair, smiles, a stern over-protectiveness, shared tears and secrets.

And then Kara remembered something important, though she didn’t quite understand why. A tear seeped out of the corner of her eye as she meditated.

It wasn’t just Alex Danvers who still lived.

No, her _sister_ , her _sister_ was _alive_.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Undisclosed System**

“You have to rewire the circuits along the breaker in order to avoid sending electrical pulses so close to the fuel line. Then . . . you — if it’ll cooperate — insert the newly programmed chip . . . and then it’s done!”

Lena stood up from where she’d been working, her knees hurting a little from being on the metal ground for so long. But it had been ages since she’d just got to tinker with her hands, mess with droids and ships and everything in between. She wiped the grease from her hands onto her pants feeling like, for the first time in a month, like she was at home.

Unlike people, machinery was consistent.

She couldn’t help the smug smirk that pulled at her lips at the incredulous look Winn Schott Jr. was giving the newly functioning STR3-K1 unit whizzing around, beeping happily on the workshop floor.

“I thought the Luthors were business-oriented. Politicians,” Winn said, in wonder.

Lena held out a hand to help him up. “That doesn’t mean we don’t have hobbies.”

Winn stood up and laughed. “Yeah, but your hobbies don’t include mass destruction.” He immediately fell silent after the comment, looking wary as if he wasn’t quite sure that sort of comment was appropriate.

Lena reassured him with a small smile. “I like to ruin family traditions.”

 _“Lena Luthor,”_ a voice called to her through the Force.

Lena winced. “J’onn is looking for me again.”

Winn frowned. “You know you couldn’t escape training for long.”

“I know, I know. I just . . . I feel calm here, you know?” She picked up a battery, wires sticking out wildly from the giant, metal brick.

“Oh, I know,” Winn responded softly. He put a hand on her shoulder and met her gaze with his Schott-sized grin. “I’m glad you’re my friend, Lena. Regardless of what other people may say about you being here.”

Lena laughed, her easy fondness of the technician and data analyst a thing of serendipity. He had engaged her in conversation, no questions asked, shown her his workshop, given her space without making her feel lonely or unwanted. The man was incredibly kind, and a large part of Lena was convinced she didn’t deserve it, and probably never would.

“Thanks, Winn.”

 _“Tinkering with machinery won’t help you learn more of the Jedi ways_.”

Lena rolled her eyes at her master’s wry comment and quickly said goodbye to her friend before darting out into the corridor. She began her way towards the larger training room (since opening the door to the Force and knocking down her emotional and mental barriers, she’d upgraded to applied lessons), not expecting to run into none other than the woman she’d been avoiding for the past month.

“C-Captain Danvers!” Lena hurriedly bent down to collect the fallen, black gun case from the ground. She handed it to the Captain who regarded her with an unreadable expression.

As she had . . . for the past _month_. Other than the necessary instructions and details of how Lena was supposed to pull her weight around the base (apparently she wasn’t trusted enough to even know what planet or moon they were on yet), Alex Danvers had failed to say anything to her since that fateful day.

 _“She didn’t know you were_ alive.”

_There wasn’t an immediate response. Lena watched Alex slowly sink to the floor, stunned._

_“And you didn’t . . . you didn’t say anything else?” Alex asked shakily, her face in her hands._

_Lena shook her head, then, realizing the Captain couldn’t see her, gave a verbal negative. “What happened with you and Kara Zor-El? If . . . if you don’t mind me asking? It . . .” Lena took a deep breath, unsure of her boundaries, “it looked like you grew up together.” She finished the sentence so softly she wasn’t sure Alex heard her._

_The Captain released a shaky breath, keeping a sob at bay._

_“Yeah,” was her answer._

_And then Lena understood, probably more than anyone had in Alex Danvers’ lifetime. Alex was put in an impossible crossroads, especially as a ranked officer in the rebel military. It was either destroy the woman who had, at one time, been a sister, a sibling, or try and rescue her from the Empire’s sway. And only one of those options was remotely feasible._

_“I,” Lena stood hesitantly over the now crying Captain. “My brother,” Lena began again, softly, “Lex, he . . . he was my world. He was my savior, and for many years, he was my closest friend. He would keep Lillian from me when she was particularly angry, made sure I had enough to eat, had someone to play games with.” She swallowed thickly. “And . . . and then he discovered the world of the Jedi. He learned of a power greater than the one our family held and . . . he lost his way,” she finished lamely._

_Lena needn’t elaborate. The entire galaxy knew what happened to Lex Luthor, what he eventually did._

_“And then he tried to kill me,” she said shakily, a tear escaping her eye. “I just,” Lena let out a watery chuckle, “I just want you to know that I get it. In. . . in a way.”_

_There was a long silence as Alex’s sobs subsided._

_“She thought we were all dead — that_ I _was dead,” Alex’s wavering voice came from her lap. “She . . . she had_ nobody _.”_

_Lena didn’t know what to say to that._

_“Leave,” Alex said so softly Lena thought she’d imagined it._

_“Wh —”_

_“Leave!” Alex said louder, tear-streaked face finally looking up. “Please,” she added, sounding on the verge of begging._

_So Lena left._

“Luthor,” Alex said cordially, taking the gun case from Lena, interrupting her thoughts.

Lena winced inwardly at the use of her last name, how it was said so . . . normally. Though, if she had to pick, Alex Danvers and Maggie Sawyer weren’t the worst people to use it.

“I’m sorry, I’m late to my training with J’onn . . .” Lena gestured noncommittally down the hall, doing her best to avoid a longer awkward moment.

She dashed down the hall without looking back. It wasn’t long before she was practically skidding into the training room.

J’onn was already practicing his stances, his green lightsaber humming calmly in the empty room. “Need I remind you that you, Ms. Luthor, set the times for your training.”

Lena gave an apologetic smile and grabbed J’onn’s training saber from a nearby bench where J’onn’s communicator and gloves lay. She ignited the blade and began going through the stances in sync with her master.

They had been making slow progress with the lightsaber, but had made leaps and bounds in the ways of the Force in regards to her mental walls. Lena, J’onn had said, had a natural affinity for blocking people out (he had said this with much amusement in his tone). He had trained her, mentally knocking her over time and time again until even he couldn’t see anything unless she wanted him to.

Then they had moved to using the Force as an extension of her person, something that was harder for Lena to do, but still manageable. Then J’onn had brought out the training saber (an extra from a friend long gone) as well as his own, only to have Lena nearly cut her foot in half.

Thus, the stances and scenario training _first_.

“I’m glad you’ve made a friend out of Mr. Schott,” J’onn said conversationally as they slowly moved together, transitioning weight from one foot to the next, the blade slowly cutting through the air with control and precision. “He has always been a lonely soul. For the longest time, Alex and Maggie were his only companions.”  
  
“Besides the droids,” Lena added with a fond smile.

J’onn chuckled. “Indeed.” He slowly came to a resting position, and Lena followed suit. “Have you been doing your mental exercises?”

Lena nodded.

“And the physical exercises?” he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching a little.

Lena opened her mouth almost indignantly before closing it, deactivating her blade. “A little.”

“Twenty five solar squats and push-ups, and then we’ll work on actually engaging an opponent with your blade and moving things with the Force. You’ll need both skills before you’re ready to forge your own blade.”

Lena blinked. “You mean. I’ll be able to leave the base?”

J’onn chuckled lightly, deactivating his own saber. “Yes, you’ll be able to leave the base. With me in tow, of course.”

“Of course,” Lena echoed wryly. She then dropped, proceeding to do her small warm-up as her new master watched.

This was exciting, finally getting to see how a Jedi was trained to become so.

* * *

 

“This is the least exciting thing you’ve made me do,” Lena complained aloud, practically shouting through the enclosed, padded helmet. “And the visor is completely blacked out.” She reached up to lift it, but found it wouldn’t budge. “Sorry, I was wrong. It’s just broken,” she added dryly.

J’onn didn’t act like he’d heard her at all. “Do you remember the training droid you saw me engage with in our earlier practice a while back?”

Lena turned her body towards the sound of her master’s voice. “The one that shoots?”

“Yes, the one that shoots.” She heard his boots on the ground before they stopped, followed soon by the sound of a droid being turned on. “You’re going to do what I did, only with this helmet on.”

Lena was positive she had heard him wrong. “Blind?” was all she could get out.

“Yes.” J’onn sounded amused. “Blind.”

Lena took off her helmet, ignoring the loose wisps of hair that came loose. “J’onn this is ridiculous. I only _just_ learned how to block and parry, and even then you were going easy on me. This,” she gestured to the flying spherical droid, “is suicide.”

“Don’t worry,” her teacher placated, “it’s set to sting, not to actually shoot. And we’ve been over this, Lena: you’re biggest barrier in advancing in your training is your brain. You use it too much. You try to calculate everything. The Force is about instinct, feeling, trust, and guidance. It’s energy, you just have to be willing to let it flow.”

Lena sighed and put the stupid helmet back on. “I hate my brain,” she said to herself, her voice muffled like before.

“That’s the spirit!” came a familiar voice from far off. Probably the other side of the room.

“Sawyer, aren’t you on patrols?” J’onn’s calm voice asked.

“Pfft. Those were finished ages ago. I helped Alex with some organizational things, made sure Winn was still working, and figured I’d find Lena. And let met tell you,” she sounded like she was on the verge of laughing, “I’m glad I did.”

Lena frowned inside her helmet, not wanting to dignify her friend with a response. She ignited her saber, listening to the faint sound of it.

“Remember to use the Force to sense the droid and its actions,” J’onn instructed. “Don’t trust your senses, don’t trust your thoughts.”

Lena nodded, getting in a ready stance. She yelped when the first shot hit her shoulder. Then a second, then a third.

Maggie was laughing as the droid stopped firing and Lena made to take her helmet off.

“Don’t remove it,” J’onn commanded. “Try again, but _feel_ the Force. _Use_ it.”

Lena huffed angrily before closing her eyes. She reached out with the Force as she’d practiced, easily finding J’onn and Maggie. Her brow furrowed as she focused harder, narrowing her details, pinpointing her targets. Suddenly, they weren’t just two different presences, they were distinct people.

She sensed their heartbeats, she knew where they stood, where their feet were on the ground.

They were living, so it was much easier to find them. But the droid . . .

She heard the whirring sound of the droid firing up.

 _Focus_ , J’onn’s voice said in her head.

And, before she could think about it, the droid had fired and she’d brought her blade up to block it. She heard Maggie whoop in the background as she blocked the next one. And the next.

Lena could feel J’onn’s pride in her actions, and she smiled to herself.

Suddenly, the droid began firing in quicker succession, then more, and as the droid attacked more and more ferociously, she realized that she was blocking every shot aimed at her person. There was a sense of energy around each shot before it had even charged. There was a disturbance in the air when the shot came near, a message to her muscles from both repeated training and the Force itself.

Then she blocked another shot, and it ricocheted into the droid, knocking it onto the ground with an electrical hiss.

Lena deactivated her saber and threw her helmet off her head, grinning from ear to ear. Maggie was clapping and cheering while J’onn stood with his arms crossed, looking rather pleased.

“I think,” Lena began, “that what you were saying is starting to make some sense.”

Maggie snorted. “You’ll find that most of the things he says do.”

J’onn rolled his eyes.

“Maggie?” came a voice from down the hall.

“In here!” Maggie called loudly.

The door behind her soon opened and Captain Danvers herself stepped in, not at all surprised to see J’onn and Lena, who was sweaty from her long session, standing there.

“Winn found the Flash,” she reported, almost urgently. “General Grant wants us all there for debrief.” She made direct eye contact with Lena. “ _All_ of us.”

Lena nodded once in understanding, something passing between the women that felt almost like an agreement, a . . . not quite partnership. Alliance? She’d find the word later.

Maggie shot a curious look Lena’s way before facing her significant other. “Lead the way, Captain.”

* * *

 

**Kessel — Kessel System**

Kara Zor-El couldn’t sleep. She hadn’t slept in a long while, not since learning of her master’s treachery, the existence of her . . . of Alex Danvers.

She sat up in her bed, running a hand down her face.

Kara Danvers hadn’t existed in fifteen years. She was but a child. And yet . . . something about the knowledge that Alex Danvers had survived the raid on Midvale left her wondering about a whole new string of “what if”s.

 _That’s a dangerous road_ , she heard a voice in her head. Her own. But . . . darker. More sinister.

She put her face in her hands.

The same voice that had been getting stronger and stronger with every day she spent under Rhea and the Empire. She had thought it normal, thought it _wise_ even, but now it was accompanied by something akin to fear. And Kara Zor-El feared _nothing_.

Kara laid back down, breathing slowly and carefully, forcing her mind blank, utilizing an old meditation technique from long ago. She reached out with the force, began counting the men on patrols, the men in the mines.

It could’ve been hours, minutes, or even seconds, but soon, she felt herself doze off, drifting into nothingness . . .

Until it wasn’t so. Until she found herself blasting through a haze of images and words and sensations.

A manor, a young boy grinning playfully down at her, a stern man holding her hand tightly as he dragged her down the hall, a ship loaded with what appeared to be schoolgirls, the blurry silhouettes of a man and a woman as they left without stopping to watch the ship leave, a worktable crowded with machinery and metal, stolen kisses in a dark hallway from a taller silhouette with silky hair, a letter, yelling, a smack on the cheek, a holoprojection, a news headline, a prison, gunfire amidst a rainy night, then — _nothing_.

Darkness. Kara stood in it. Was surrounded by it.

“What’s happening?” she asked aloud.

Kara attempted to use the Force on her surroundings, but sensed nothing. Her hand went to her hip finding nothing there as well.

She felt a pull from the small of her back and then she was sitting up in her bed, covered in a sheen layer of sweat, panting as if she’d run kilometers in seconds.

There was a pounding at her door, and Kara checked a small device on her bedside desk.

_It was morning?_

“General — _”_

 _“Leave,”_ Kara ordered. She waited until she felt the soldier’s presence depart before letting out an angry roar, nearby objects violently flying away from her.

She didn’t know what was happening to her, but she wanted it to stop.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Undisclosed System**

“What do you know about Geonosis?”

Maggie let out a low whistle while Lena’s eyes widened. She looked around the room at the other commanding officers before glancing at J’onn. No one seemed as surprised as her or intimidated.

Alex Danvers, who stood close by her as her appointed overseer, shouldered her semi-roughly. “Pay attention, Luthor.”

The name had far less sting than when she’d first arrived, and Lena only settled with rolling her eyes in response.

Cat Grant pulled up a three dimensional map of a seemingly barren terrain. “Geonosis is a dusty, rocky, sad excuse for a planet. It also happens to be the location of one of the Empire’s greatest underground prison-holds.” She pressed a button on a remote and the map rotated, an infrastructure of sorts glowing a faded red.

“That’s got to be _stories,”_ Maggie said quietly so that only Lena and Alex could hear.

Lena silently agreed, tuning into what Cat was saying next. It was her first time allowed into the briefing room and she was not going to mess it up.

“Captain Danvers has been working somewhat diligently amongst her _trysts,”_ Lena ignored the way Alex and Maggie shuffled awkwardly, “to locate one of the Jedi’s youngest and most valuable assets: Barry Allen. Also known as ‘the Flash’, which, if you ask me, sounds more like a man without clothes than a man who can dodge a blaster shot.”

Winn, who was on the other side of the meeting circle coughed almost violently in his fist. Lena fought to keep her own smile off her face, amused at her friend’s attempt at hiding his laughter.

“Mr. Schott, get a _grip_ ,” Cat snapped before continuing her presentation. “Master Allen was last sent to the Yavin system, investigating some intel for the old Republic regarding weapons intel across Yavin’s moons. He found a ring of informants, and was thought to have plenty of information that I _assume_ was useful until he feel _gracefully_ into the Empire’s hands.”

She pressed a button and the map rotated once more, scanning deeper into the ground until four large blocks flashed green.

“These are the high-value prisoners.” Cat sighed, as if she were bored of her own voice. “This _means_ that they’re high-value allies for us. Potentially. Normally, I’d leave Allen where he was until we knew without a doubt it was safe to get him and all of the Jedi whosits off of Geonosis, but time is short.” The General rolled her wrist until her hand was pointing in their general direction. “Captain Danvers?”

Alex stepped from the ranks of officers and saluted the General before taking Cat’s place on the figurative stand. “Our own personal intel has given us enough to suspect that the Empire is making leeway on a new weapon. Lena Luthor, sister of Lex Luthor,” Alex gestured towards her and Lena shrunk against the many stares she received in turn, “has given believable testimony that the Luthors have been experimenting with different elements, their lab being on an invitation-only status since before the fall of the Jedi.”

She didn’t need to voice who’s fall she was alluding to. The room immediately felt heavy with the memory of the Jedi hero. Lena looked down at her feet so she didn’t have to meet the nervous glances shot her way.

“The Yavin moons were established by the Empire as a delivery post for special materials from foreign planets to Coruscant where we know the Empire has made their base planet.” Alex gestured towards the map of the Genosis prison. “With the time Master Allen spent on the Yavin moons, and the amount of time they’ve held him alive, we have reason to believe he may have valuable intel on this experiment Lena has informed us of.”

She continued talking but all of a sudden, it was like Lena was in a trance. Waves of energy around her . . . it was like she was _surrounded_ by the Force.

“What are you doing here?” a voice growled from near her.

Lena jumped, turning to where a familiar person stood in Alex’s vacant spot. Kara Zor-El stood proud in her dark robes marking her a member of the Sith, her stance looking as if she was about to attack Lena where she stood.

“What do you mean,” Lena said lowly. It seemed that no one noticed anything different. Alex’s muffled voice continued to speak. “You came _here_.”

Kara looked around as if just noticing her surroundings, her eyes landing on Alex. The shadows on her face seemed to lengthen and darken as she watched the older woman speak.

“She’s a Captain for the Resistance.” The statement held a steeliness to it that Lena knew hid something far more personal. She should know — she spoke like that all the time.

“She is.” Lena looked towards J’onn who was looking around the room, clearly sensing _something_ , but the urgency wasn’t strong enough in his body language. She was sure he didn’t suspect her. Yet. “Why are _you_ here?” She asked Kara, looking warily at the sith, her jaw working in her anxiety. “I have made very thorough precautions to keep you far from my mind —”

“So that’s what that was,” Kara scrutinized Lena, almost looming over her. “Your mental walls are impressive. You’ve learned much in the ways of the Force.”

Lena glared back. “And yet you’re still here.”

Normally she’d stay away from such words, but once again, there was something in the Force telling her that Kara wasn’t going to hurt her. At least, not here.

“No, you interrupted _me_.”

Lena gritted her teeth. She hated not knowing things and she had no clue what was happening. She noticed that Alex seemed ready to wrap up her briefing, and mentally chided herself for missing all of the important information. Cat was going to have her head.

Kara watched Alex again, her eyes flashing with something akin to pain. “She’s . . . sad. Hurting.” Kara seemed to be talking to herself.

Lena followed Kara’s gaze. She knew something of both sides of the story, and regardless of her mysterious connection with the woman in front of her, Alex Danvers and the Resistance came first. Kara couldn’t know their plans, she couldn’t know their location (not that Lena knew herself), and most importantly, she couldn’t know their individual weaknesses.

Kara looked Lena in the eye again. “Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?”

Lena opened her mouth to respond, but just as suddenly as Kara had appeared, she was gone. Lena looked around her, noticing the officers scattering, going their own way, showing that the meeting was over.

“Ms. Luthor?” J’onn approached her carefully as if she might flee at any moment. “Lena, are you okay?”

Lena blinked, focusing on her master’s worried gaze. “Um, no, I’m fine. Just tired.” The lie came out of her mouth before she could think of something to say.

J’onn eyed her before seeming to accept the answer. “But you weren’t listening.”

Lena sighed. “No. I just. Everything has been happening in such a short time, and yet it also feels like I’ve been for ages. I’ve learned so much and seen so little.”

J’onn nodded in understanding. “While I don’t have enough time before the rescue mission to assuage your cabin fever, Ms. Luthor, I can give you the remaining two days for yourself.”

Lena looked up in amazement, her mouth opened, a thanks bubbling in her lungs.

“ _But,”_ J’onn continued, “I expect you to keep up your exercises, physical and otherwise.”

“Of course!” Lena readily agreed. “I’m sure Winn will be just as thankful than me, if not more.”

J’onn chuckled and bowed from the waist. “Until we speak again.”

Lena watched her teacher leave and turned, ready to search for Winn, only to run into none other than Alex Danvers. Again. “This keeps happening,” she quipped.

Maggie stepped out from behind the two tall, imposing women, looking uncharacteristically serious. Lena immediately fell to attention. “What’s going on?”

“Captain Danvers thinks it’ll be a wonderful idea to drag you along to Geonosis. While I think you’re a little green for an operation like this,” Cat sighed sounding dramatically dejected, “I’ve given you the ‘all-clear’ to go as a member of the Resistance.”

Lena was sure her heart skipped a beat. “I —”

“Breathe, Luthor,” Maggie said with a small smile.

Lena looked at Alex incredulously. “I haven’t even made my own lightsaber yet, and I’ve barely gotten to be as good as a third year padawan!”

Alex nodded. “Which may be true, but the truth is, it’s much more progress than J’onn or I thought you would make in this timeframe. You’ve shown yourself to be resourceful in many different ways as well as trustworthy with sensitive information.”

Lena couldn’t help the way her gaze dropped, suddenly feeling guilty that she had an unexplainable Force-guided connection with Alex’s long-lost sister while the woman herself stood before her, heartbroken that she may eventually have to give the order to cut said sister down for good.

A hand laid itself on her shoulder and she looked up to see the Captain looking at her with genuine kindness in her eyes. “Lena, the biggest threshold to cross in learning whether or not you’re ready is trusting what people see in you and taking that leap of faith. I’ll be with you the entire time, and I promise you, J’onn isn’t letting you leave without his second saber.”

Lena took in a shuddering breath, her gaze finding Cat’s cool, but wise gaze. She looked at Maggie, her first friend in this place. Then her eyes found Alex again, and she remembered the brokenness she’d witnessed that first day over a sister she missed more than anything. The way the straight-shouldered Captain had looked at her like her world would always be one of war.

Lena understood more than anyone else that her biggest fear wasn’t the sibling everyone in the galaxy was afraid of, no, it was that she knew, one day, it would be just them in the end, and someone would have to give.

Lena Luthor, a part of the most ruinous legacy of the galaxy, solidified her part in the rebel cause with a nod.

“Ok.”


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

 

Lena sat in the back of the ship, her mind whirling with anxious thoughts. It had been a busy two days. Despite J’onn’s offer for a break, she asked him to train her harder and longer than before. Her muscles held a soreness to them, but she now felt more confident in her instincts and skills.

Her hand nervously ran over the side of her thigh, feeling the drive Winn had slid into her pocket. It wasn’t her job to engage in combat or rescue the prisoners. She and Maggie and a small team were headed straight for the communications room where they were to download as many saved files as possible.

When it came to a mission like this, Cat Grant spared no details. Anything was better than nothing if it came down to it.

_“You will most likely be forced into combat, but I need you to remember two crucial things,” J’onn said with eyes leveled, meeting hers seriously. “First, that no matter what happens, you will not use your emotions to fuel your abilities and cloud your judgement. This does not mean,” he interjected before Lena could say anything in her defense, “that you should go in emotionless. But if the driving factor in your movements and in your Force-wielding is anything but what we’ve trained, you need to leave.”_

_J’onn pulled her into a hug, surprising Lena for a moment before she hesitantly returned his affections. “And second: if you encounter another Force-user and they are not on our side, I need your first priority to be getting away as well. Other soldiers can come later, but as of now, you are part of a dying breed and are an incredible asset for the Resistance. We can’t have you dying before you’ve even begun.”_

Lena stood and walked to the cockpit, the weight of J’onn’s lightsaber heavy on her hip. Alex and Maggie sat in the pilot and co-pilot seats, talking in hushed tones.

They both looked up when she walked in.

“Hey, Luthor,” Maggie greeted with a small smile. Alex simply gave a nod.

Lena could sense the emotion boiling inside of the Captain.

Lena returned Maggie’s smile and looked out the front window, seeing the blurred lines of stars past them as they continued in hyperdrive. “I couldn’t stay seated,” she offered as an explanation for her presence.

Alex nodded in understanding. “Before my first field mission, I think I paced so much, Cat almost threw me off the side of the ship.”

Maggie faced Alex curiously. “Isn’t that also when you threw up all over her boots like a champ?”

Alex glared at Maggie while Lena let out a small chuckle.

They fell into a comfortable silence, all the while Lena sensed Alex’s unease growing and growing until:

“What if she’s there?”

Neither Maggie nor Lena had to ask who Alex was speaking of. Maggie shot Lena a glance before putting a hand on her lover’s shoulder. “Then we do our mission and run like hell.”

Alex looked at Lena carefully. “If . . . if you sense her, if you run into her, promise me you’ll tell me.”

“Alex —”

“No!” Alex shook off Maggie’s hand and faced Lena with a plea in her eyes. “You promise you will tell me if she’s there? I know you know how to use the Force to find people.”

Lena hesitated. If she gave an affirmative, and if the proposed situation did occur, she knew Alex would leave her post and leave the mission behind in order to speak face-to-face with her long-lost sister. But Lena knew something Alex didn’t: the darkness that swirled around Kara Zor-El was not something that could be talked away. It wasn’t something that took a day to build, and it wasn’t something that would take a day to break down.

They had heard the stories, and still Alex was willing to pursue.

_Lex would have done the same for you._

The thought came from the recesses of her mind and she clenched her jaw.

“If the mission hasn’t been completed, I can’t make such a promise, but if we’ve done what we’ve been sent to, then yes, I will let you know,” Lena answered, slowly.

Maggie looked impressed by the response and Alex nodded with a sigh.

“Good, answer, soldier.”

* * *

 

**Geonosis — Geonosis System**

“This is Red team checking in. Red team checking in.” Alex began flipping switches, speaking into her headset steadily as they pulled out of hyperspace.

The pulling sensation on the stars outside their ship slowed until a planet was before them: orange, barren, dusty. Geonosis wasn’t much to look at, but Lena knew vaguely both from the rebel briefing and from bits of conversation gathered on Coruscant that more lay beneath the surface.

She caught a glimpse of movement outside the cockpit window and saw their other tactical teams appear beside them.

_“Red team, this is Gold team.”_

_“Red team, this is Blue team.”_

_“Red team, this is Green team.”_

_“Red team, Orange team.”_

Alex nodded at the calls and let out a breath. “There’s no tractor beam, no alerts from the surface,” she said into her headset. “Orange team, you know your job. You’re our extraction and emergency support. Keep an eye on the wavelengths and tip us off on any communications.”

There was an affirmative over the static-clouded radio. Lena made a mental note to have a look at it when they got back.

“Green, Blue, Gold, I trust you know your positions. Make it quick, make it fast, and make it painless.” Alex took control of the steering and her jaw clenched in anticipation. “Let’s go.”

They flew down towards the planet, approaching a tall, ugly-looking rock formation jutting straight up from the ground. Dust swirled around them as they landed in the twilight sun. If Cat’s maps were correct (and Maggie had assured her they almost always were), they were about a kilometer from the nearest entrance to the prison.

Everyone in the ship began strapping on gear and preparing weapons. Alex stopped by where Lena stood, almost hopelessly. “Is there anyone nearby?”

Lena paused, casting her senses out. “No. Not until the prison.”

“Good.”

Lena put her hand on her belt, feeling the saber and her personal blaster. This was it.

They soon left the ship, the team splitting up so that the snipers could get into position on a nearby dune. It was bizarre to think that she was about to break into a prison Lex himself had helped design in order to save a man with abilities that her family despised.

Alex, Maggie, Lena, and their tactical team approached the entrance: a large, harmless wall of metal with some guards posted around the front and over the top.

Alex gave some signals to her men who quickly split and began flanking the door. Maggie took her rifle off of her back, and began looking down the scope at the guards along the top of the entrance to what Lena figured had to be a tunnel down into the ground.

“Four guards on top, all of them looking incredibly bored.” Maggie’s finger brushed the trigger of her gun as Lena once again cast out her senses.

“We need to be careful. They’re moving a lot inside,” Lena commented, pressure building in her head as she focused as hard as she could beyond the prison entrance. “I think they’re changing guard or something.”

Alex hummed. “Well they don’t know we’re here, so that’s still our advantage.”

She gave the signal and Maggie wasted no time in taking out the guards on top of the door. Her men had reached the prison door and silently took out the patrolling guards on the ground. Alex gave a signal behind her to her support who knew to wait until they came out again.

By the time they were inside the prison, Lena’s adrenaline was high. Everything J’onn had taught her, she recited over and over in her head, determined that if she was to engage in combat, she wouldn’t lose her cool and forget everything.

They hit a fork in the tunnels.

Alex faced Maggie and Lena. “Ninety minutes,” was all she said before her and her men stalked off towards the prison cells.

Maggie jerked her head so that their men knew they were moving and they crept along the hall. With the exception of a few patrolling guards, there wasn’t much excitement in the communications wing, and Lena was beginning to worry.

Had they missed something? A detail? A person?

They heard the voices of men coming nearer on the other side of a nearby door. Maggie looked at Lena in alarm and they quickly began backing up. Their men followed suit before stopping.

“What’s going on?” Maggie hissed urgently.

“Ma’am, there’s a unit coming this way.”

“ _Kriff_ ,” Maggie swore.

Lena’s grip tightened on the handle of her gun. No use in using the saber unless absolutely necessary. The rebel soldiers lined the walls, hugging close as the marching steps of Empire soldiers echoed softly in the corridor. Lena could feel them drawing nearer, silently chiding herself for not checking earlier.

The first man turned a corner. “What the —”

Maggie shot him before he could finish his sentence. Then all hell broke loose in the small hallway. The unit that had been moving to their next station began firing towards the rebels taking two of their men before they had a chance to hide behind the pillars jutting from the side of the wall.

“Get to the room!” Maggie ordered over her shoulder at Lena who had aimed and taken a shot at a soldier, taking him down. “Get to the computers and do what you need to! They’re going to call for backup soon —”

Alarms began flaring and Maggie swore vehemently. “We should have double checked shift changes and routes before coming in here.”

The door behind Lena hissed open and two officers came out with more men, their guns drawn. As a barrage of blaster fire flew their way, Lena ignited her saber, blocking as many shots as she could from her own body and her friend before Force-pushing some men away.

The cries of men being shot echoed through the hall.

Lena sensed more people coming and knew their small tactical unit couldn’t hold them off.

“Maggie, you need to take the team and —”

“I’m not leaving you alone, Luthor!” Maggie interrupted her.

“I’m not saying leave! We’re in the communications wing, right? It’ll be some time before any more troops come. You need to go to their main control room and deactivate the prison doors.” Lena blocked another shot and kicked a man in the chest who had been brave enough to charge directly at her. “I know it’s a long shot releasing all the prisoners, but at this point, we need the additional chaos to get our men out.”

Maggie paused, then nodded. She activated her earpiece and relayed the plan to her second in command. Soon, a small group of five broke off from their men and raced under heavy fire down the hall into a room. Or another branching hallway. At this point, Lena didn’t care.

“This is a secret prison,” Maggie said as she turned around and took down the last few men Lena was fending off. She faced Lena. “That means that the higher-ups are going to hear about this.”

Lena nodded and swallowed. Alex may get her wish to see her sister after all.

“I know. That’s why we need to do our job and get out of here.”

They dashed into the communications room, and Maggie found a safe corner, her fun pointed towards the closed doors. The sound of running and shots being fired sounded from the hall.

“Come on, Luthor. Do your work!”

“Ok, ok,” Lena muttered, putting her saber back on her hip as she sat at what looked to be the main computer. She took Winn’s device from her pocket and hooked it up to the mainframe, her fingers flying over the keys as the holo-screen displayed her work.

“I’m going to need ten minutes. Most of this is encrypted.”

The doors hissed open and Maggie shot the first soldier who stepped into view. “You got brains for something. I trust you.”

 _That may not be a good idea_.

* * *

 

Alex Danvers slid on the ground between two soldiers kicking one in the side of his knee so his leg gave a loud snap, and shot the second in the chest. The alarms were flashing and going off, and she couldn’t help but wonder how she managed to earn this sort of luck.

More men poured out from the side rooms and she took cover with her men. They had made it past the first checkpoint where Vasquez, a loyal soldier, had helped take out the men behind the computers. One shot apparently, had gone to a man’s shoulder and not his chest or head, because he had soon activated the alarm before shooting Vasquez.

Alex had quickly gotten rid of him. Now it was her and a few men left and as the enemy soldiers poured out of the room, they turned and fled.

She entered the nearest open room, and shot the two soldiers who were inside.

Alex looked around frantically. It seemed they were in some sort of meeting room. There was a large, round table in the center, and a table along the wall. Her men worked to hold the door shut while she searched for a solution.

There were no windows (they _were_ underground), and the only door into the room was the one she’d entered.

For the first time since hell exploded around them, Alex tapped the comm in her ear. “I don’t know what everyone else looks like, but we’re under heavy fire!”

Her men grunted under the strain of holding the door shut. Alex unstrapped the shotgun from her back.

 _“They’re everywhere! They weren’t expecting an attack, but something was happening before we arr —“_ She heard her fellow Captain scream as he got shot.

She gritted her teeth, signaling for her men to fall back. They worked quickly to flip the stone table on its side as the locks on the door wavered under additional force.

 _“Alex? Alex?!”_ called a familiar voice.

“Maggie! What’s your twenty?” The door burst open and soldiers flooded in. Alex and her men spared no time in shooting them down. Or. Trying to.

_“We’ve got the drive and Lena’s about to make a risky call. I need you to trust us.”_

Alex fired a shot into a soldier’s chest, the kick of the blast knocking him back into two others. “Maggie, your first priority is getting out — _”_

_“Going now!”_

As Alex received Maggie’s message a new kind of alarm began blaring added to the chaos of flashing red lights and blaster fire.

Alex deflected a blow from a charging soldier, taking his arm and flipping him onto his stomach. She pulled him behind the table and held her gun to his chest. “What’s the new alarm mean?”

He bared his teeth at her and she pressed harder into his chest. “ _What_ ,” she growled, “ _do they mean_.”

“Rebel scum,” he snarled.

Alex pulled her gun up and shot another soldier who’d made it past her men. He fell to the ground next to the man under her gun, his face bloodied and unrecognizable from the blast directly to his face.

He flinched and looked away from his comrade’s mangled face.

“Alarm,” Alex prompted again. “I have plenty of bullets left.”

“Ok! Ok. I don’t know what’s happening, but the prisoners have all been released. The only one who can do that is the Admiral who’s acting warden!” Alex hit him hard in the temple and fired again over the table towards the still coming onslaught.

Maggie had said Lena was making a call. They had been in the control and communications area, meaning that the prison doors were probably they’re doing. This place, according to Cat’s intel, was filled with at least five stories of cells, not counting the separated individual chambers the highest value prisoners were held in.

The chaos was an advantage, but it also served the same disadvantage to them as it did the enemy.

“ _Kriff_ , Luthor, I hope you know what you’re doing.”

* * *

 

“Luthor, you have _no_ idea what you’re doing!” Maggie shouted as they ran down a corridor, an injured soldier slung over her shoulder. “Going after Alex wasn’t part of the plan!”

Lena stopped, sliding on the tile and used a powerful force blast on the door at the end of the hall, knocking it down. She pulled out her saber, jumping from attacker to attacker with carefully controlled blows, scared to go too deep.

Maggie stood in the doorway, looking impressed. “Ok, Luthor. Maybe you have some notion of what you’re doing. But as much as I love Alex, if we don’t get this drive out, it’s the entire Resistance movement on the line.”

Lena stood, holding her saber out from her, the low hum of it a reminder of what the Jedi stood for. Unity. Balance. Justice. Friendship.

“I can’t leave her behind.” She looked at Maggie with determination. “I can’t leave a mission half-finished. Barry Allen is still down there, and I intend to bring him back.”

Maggie shifted the unconscious soldier on her shoulder and paused before nodding. “If you get her killed or hurt, I swear by the stars, Luthor . . .”

Lena nodded. “I know.”

Maggie dashed off while Lena took a deep breath before running down a side corridor. She expanded her senses, locating Alex with relative ease amidst the many soldiers and prisoners running and fighting in between them.

Lena ran as fast as she could, her heart racing, her mind struggling to stay focused. She skirted around the enemy soldiers relatively easily, taking them down as she went, apologizing in her head the whole way through. They were just obeying orders. She knew what that was like.

Eventually, Lena turned a corner to find herself at a T in the corridor. Her steps alerted a group of soldiers who aimed their weapons at her, eyeing her lightsaber nervously.

“Stand down!” one of them ordered.

Lena heard a familiar shout from the hall on the left. It sounded like Alex had been shot. She needed to hurry.

“I’m sorry!” She jumped in the air, swinging her blade deliberately. The tip of the blade grazed the piping on the ceiling, almost immediately filling the hall with thick, foggy steam. She ran around them, pausing for a minute before going right, sprinting even faster than before.

Just as expected, the prison doors were all open, and it was mass chaos. Everyone was fighting in close quarters, and every now and then a shot would be fired, but for the most part, it was brutal, bloody old-fashioned hand-to-hand.

Or, people trying to punch each other harder.

Lena sheathed her saber, lithely jumping up above the heads, hanging onto the bars of the prison cells. She quickly scooted her way down the hall, trying valiantly to avoid running into anyone. She was already very tired from earlier combat and she still needed to save her strength for whatever may happen in the future.

On the other side of the corridor, she dropped to the floor. Lena leaned back instinctively as a fist flew past her face. She blocked a second one before jabbing her attacker in the throat and stepping nimbly aside as he fell to the ground, gagging.

Lena cast her senses out, noticing some lifeforms beyond a wall. She used the Force on it, creating small dents in the metal before using her lightsaber to cut a Lena sized hole.

She jumped through, leaving the sounds of fighting behind her. The dark hallway was short, ending in a long staircase. Lena followed it, ending in a large square room with metal bars dividing the room in two. Lena stared through the opposite side of the room, eyeing the overturned table and lack of guards.

She barely had time to see if anyone was in the cell or if she was even at the correct cell before she was thrown into the wall. Lena shouted in alarm before the air was knocked out of her.

Lena hit the ground with a pitiful wheeze, rolling over to get a look at her attacker as she struggled to get her breath back.

“Any step closer, and you’re gonna get it,” a voice warned.

Lena coughed and rolled onto her hands and knees, her vision a little watery. She fell back on her knees, glaring up at the man on the other side of the bars already in a fighting stance.

“I’m,” Lena coughed before standing up, wincing, “I’m with the Resistance.”

The man immediately stood down. “The _Resistance_ caused this mess?” He gestured broadly around the room. As if to prove his point, the room trembled with the low rumble of a distant explosion.

The man winced, his slight frame moving slightly in his dirty Jedi robes. “Soooo,” his eyes flickered to the saber at her hip and back up to her face. “You’re a . . . Jedi?”

Lena rolled her eyes and ignited her lightsaber, the blue glow illuminating the room, melding with the soft amber light emitting from the single light in the room. “Something like that.” She swung wide, stepping back as the bars fell forward.

“We’re looking for a man named Barry Allen,” she began.

The Jedi grinned widely. “ _I’m_ Barry Allen. Or, you know, you could call me the Flash if you wanted.”

Lena blinked, deadpan as the room trembled from another explosion.

“Right,” Barry smiled sheepishly. “Probably not the time.”

A third explosion sounded, this time nearby.

“We need to go. _Now_.” Lena shoved her pistol into Barry’s hands, her lightsaber at the ready.

“What’s going on?” Barry asked as they sprinted upwards. They skidded to a stop in the far less crowded prison wing Lena had come through earlier, the floor littered with bloodied and bruised men. Some seemed to be breathing, others were not. “What did you do _here_?”

“What?” Lena faced Barry indignantly. “I didn’t do that!”

Another explosion sounded from very close, causing the halls to shake. “Though I may have done _that_. We need to go.”

She should’ve thought a little farther ahead when she destroyed that pipe before rescuing Barry.

They sprinted further, Lena panting as she ran. She hadn’t been inside the base but just under and hour, and she’d used more energy than expected. However, Barry was keeping a steady pace, his face focused, and his breathing even despite their vigorous pace.

He was known to be fast, and she guessed that part of that was stamina. Figures.

“Which way are we going?” Barry asked as they skidded to an intersection. Lena could hear enemy soldiers marching their direction down one hall. Another explosion sounded from directly in front of them.

“I need to find Alex . . .” Lena paused closing her eyes, desperately searching for the Captain. “She’s down that way,” Lena pointed straight ahead. “She’s headed towards the exit.”

The place rumbled again.

“Uh . . . I think we have company.” Lena turned to follow Barry’s finger as he pointed. Enemy soldiers were running towards them.

“We always do,” she muttered.

“Look,” Barry faced her seriously. “I know you haven’t known me for very long,” he ignored thew way Lena cocked her eyebrow at him, “but if you let me use your lightsaber, you can run ahead while I take care of these guys.”

They hid behind the corner as the men started shooting at them. Lena hesitated and Barry put his hands on her shoulders, looking her directly in the eye. She saw honesty in him, and she knew immediately, without using the Force for anything, that he was a trustworthy man.

“I can sense great power and potential in you, and I can also sense great turmoil.” Barry smiled softly at her. “I know what it’s like to begin training when you have no one else to back you but the people who train you. My mother was killed by a man I considered my best friend. Things get scary and its hard, but believe me when I say I want to help, not because I think you’re incapable, but because I want to help you.”

The look in his eyes . . . it reminded Lena of her brother. Way before their destinies caught up with them. Some part of her knew that Barry would be a lifelong friend — the same feeling she had when she’d first gotten time with Winn Schott.

Lena unclipped her saber from her belt, handing it to Barry with a resolute nod as the halls shook again from another explosion in the pipes. Lena turned her head when she heard a wall collapse not far off.

“Hurry! The place is coming down!” Lena started running to where she’d sensed Alex, dodging a couple of shots before stumbling on her way.

She heard her saber ignite behind her and knew Barry would be ok. Lena turned a corner and saw a familiar redhead just as the woman decked a man in the jaw, dropping him like a rock.

“Alex!”

Alex turned around, blood running down the side of her face and her shoulder, her stance ready to fight. Lena put up her hands to ease her down. The Captain relaxed slowly, wiping at her face. The motion did nothing but smear it, giving her a more carnal look than before.

“This entire operation has gone to the pit,” Alex growled. “What the hell happened with the infrastructure? It’s like this place is about to collapse on itself!”

Lena let out a huff. “I had to cut some pipes to cause a distraction, but must’ve disrupted the pressure equilibrium they have set up. The walls’ supports are weakening, and, unless I’m mistaken, we may run out of breathable air down here before it all falls down.”

Alex glared at Lena. “And Maggie? Don’t tell me you just left her behind!”

“No!” Lena glared back. “She told me to get you, but I knew you’d prioritize the mission, so I got Barry Allen first. By the time I came back, you were on your way to the exit.”

“Where _is_ Allen?” Alex inquired.

A burst of wind rushed down the corridor, and Lena and Alex braced themselves against it. Suddenly, Barry Allen himself was in front of them, Lena’s (technically J’onn’s) lightsaber was clipped to his hip.

“Man, I can’t tell you how nice it is to be able to do that again.”

Alex scrutinized the man head to tow before looking at Lena. “I have some select words for you, Luthor, but for now,” the shouts of more soldiers interrupted her, “we need to go!”

They sprinted, taking turns knocking out the endless reinforcements of prison soldiers, taking a couple of the runaway prisoners down as well who got in their way.

Lena found that Barry lived up to his name. His fighting style was full of movement, using the Force to make his actions faster than she thought anyone could possible move. Now that she’d noticed it, it was hard to ignore the swirling energy around him — the Force seemed to bubble in his vicinity, getting ready to be released in a burst of energy.

They switched off using the saber, taking down enemies with the blade and with the Force itself. As they continued, it seemed Alex’s respect for the both of them grew. They were making considerable progress, and it wasn’t long until they found the nearest exit.

As they ran out into the cool, desert night, Lena took in the destruction around them. The exposed metal was covered with scorch marks, the sand blown haphazardly over bits of battle droids and dead bodies.

The trio slowed to a walk, taking in the damage.

“Maggie’s comms are out,” Alex said into the eerie quiet, the rumble of the sinking prison echoing from behind them. “The rest of my tactical teams are waiting for us at the rendezvous point. Well. The ones that made it.”

Barry came up to them, his hands on his hips. “Where to, then, Captain?”

Alex pointed. “Over the ridge in the canyon wall.”

Barry looked at Lena with a broad smile. Lena looked wearily back. “Yes?” she asked slowly.

“It’s just nice to work alongside another Jedi, even if you’re new to the whole thing. There’s something about fighting alongside people like you, you know?”

Lena did know.

“I don’t think I got your name,” Barry added as they followed Alex towards the desert.

Lena hesitated. “Lena. Lena . . . Luthor.”

Barry’s smile faltered. “Oh.” He stood there awkwardly. “ _OH_.” He tilted his head then shrugged when Lena looked away in shame. “Hey, look. You just caught me by surprise, that’s all. I just didn’t expect a Luthor to be . . . well a Force-user.”

Lena scoffed. “Believe me, neither did I.”

They walked in silence for a bit. “Been pretty rough, huh?”

Lena let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah. Yeah it really has been.”

Suddenly a piercing sensation entered her head, as if someone was gradually pressing a nail in her skull. She fell to the ground, clutching her temples, her eyes watery with pain as she cried out.

“Lena!”

She heard both Barry and Alex run to her side, but her senses were faint — as if everything were happening at a distance.

Lena felt a great darkness — shadows creeping into her mind. She fought valiantly against the intense pressure, her walls struggling to remain up. Until they weren’t. Her walls collapsed, and an energy the Force hasn’t ever brought around her before swirled inside her mind and around her.

She distantly heard Barry’s shout of alarm as he backed away, clearly sensing the same thing.

_Where are you hiding now, Lena Luthor?_

Lena cried out as the familiar voice filled her head, closer and clearer than before.

“She . . . she’s here!” Lena looked up at Alex through the pain and her wavering vision. “A-Alex, s-she’s _here_.”

As she spoke, a small ship zoomed in the sky above them, landing not far off. The black, shiny metal was a tell-tale sign of who it belonged to, never mind the Empire’s crest on it’s back fin.

“Oh, _kriff_ ,” Barry swore.

Lena pushed back on the presence swirling in her mind. It was an odd sensation, feeling this dual presence. She knew before the door lowered, before the passengers stepped onto the desert ground that Kara Zor-El was on that ship. She felt her like an old friend, despite only conversing with her a few times. But there had been inklings of other glimpses in her subconscious, in her dreams.

Whatever connected her to Kara had intensified a thousand times over, and she felt her legs shake under the weight of it.

The sith walked towards them, her saber igniting a brilliant red. It was an incredibly intimidating sight, seeing the woman she’d become somewhat familiar with adorned in the robes and mask that gave so many people so much fear.

Lena scowled at the dark figure drawing nearer until they stood not twenty feet apart.

“You need to be more cautious in closing your mind,” Kara’s voice came through the mask distorted and somewhat digitalized. “It was too easy to follow you and your rebels here.”

Alex stepped forwards. “Kara!”

“ _Alex_!” Lena hissed in warning. The Captain ignored her.

“Kara, I’ve . . . I’ve been looking for you for so long!” Alex’s voice was thick with emotion. “Kara, Mother and I . . . _Eliza_ and I have never given up hope that we’d see you again! You’ve always been the light of our family, and when Rhea attacked Midvale —”

 _“No_ ,” Kara roared. “Rhea has done nothing but care for me. She has taught me more than anything I could ever hope to have achieved on my own. She gave me a home when mine was destroyed.”

“But it wasn’t destroyed!” Alex responded almost desperately. “Moth — Eliza and I are still walking and breathing and living! Kara, don’t you see? The path you’ve forged for yourself is full of lost hope and anger and _loss_ . . . and,” she inhaled shakily as if keeping a sob at bay, “and I’m so, _so_ sorry you’ve had to live life so _alone_. I’m _sorry_ about Kal-El, I’m _sorry_ you’ve thought we were dead, and most of all, I’m sorry that you haven’t had anyone to love you in so long.”

Lena sensed something in Kara falter as her sister spoke, getting a glimpse in her head of a bed with two small girls in it, hugging as the taller one whispered words of comfort to the smaller blonde girl while she cried.

Lena blinked, and she was back on Geonosis.

“It is true that you still live,” Kara said slowly. “But the Empire is bringing balance. Kal-El only got in the way, proving that those who resist true balance only manage to disrupt it. I have grown powerful beyond anything the galaxy has ever seen, and Rao has granted me my gifts so that I can fulfill this mission of peace and balance in a way the Jedi and the Old Republic were too weak to do!”

She rushed forwards, her blade ready to strike. Lena saw the red of the saber reflect in Alex’s watery eyes, and she rushed forwards to save her friend before it was too late.

But she was passed by a rush of wind, and before she knew it, Barry was holding Kara off, bearing Lena’s blade and grunting as they pushed against one another.

Lena pulled Alex back, the Captain too stunned to say anything.

“She . . . she didn’t hesitate. She tried to kill me,” Alex said, stunned.

Lena heard blades collide and looked over, seeing Barry and Kara moving in a deadly dance far quicker than her eye could follow. And yet . . . she could see every detail at the same time.

This Force thing was so odd to her.

“Alex, we need to go find Maggie and the other soldiers before Kara’s forces find them!” The air around them swirled violently as more Empire ships flew over them, more than Lena cared to count.

Alex looked back at the battling duo with pain in her eyes and Lena pushed her towards the canyon their allies were at. “ _Go!_ ”

The Captain seemed to gather her bearings and drew her pistol. She began a sprint towards the canyon, Lena quick on her heels.

A sudden shout grabbed her attention and she skidded to a stop, turning around with wide eyes.

Barry was on his knees, Kara’s lightsaber sticking straight through his shoulder. She pulled the saber up, leaving a deep gash in the joint. Barry cried out in pain, collapsing in an ever growing pool of blood.

Lena cried out his name as he fell, running back towards her new ally and friend.

Kara stepped between her and Barry her saber extended out from her side as she stood, scrutinizing Lena.

“There’s still so much you need to learn,” Kara said almost ruefully. “I will almost feel bad reporting the news of your death to your _dearest_ mother.”

Lena gritted her teeth, using as much of her strength as she dared to keep the darkness in the air at bay. She used the Force on her saber, summoning it from where it lay by Barry’s side. The handle rested in her hand, the familiar weight a comfort as she stood ready to defend herself.

“Just let me get him and go. I promise we don’t need to fight.”

Kara chuckled. “It won’t be much of one.”

She swung violently at Lena, faster than anticipated, despite knowing that Barry, allegedly the fastest Jedi alive, had struggled to keep her own against Rhea’s apprentice.

Lena blocked her swing, the force of the blow knocking her back a few steps. As she stumbled, Kara used the Force on her, throwing her into the air.

Lena landed in the sand at an odd angle, feeling something in her left arm snap. She cried out in pain as Kara landed by her head. She stood over her, the mask adding an air of detachment that made Lena fill with fear.

 _Your time is not yet done,_ a new voice entered her head. One she’d never heard before. A man’s voice, the tone soft, but firm. _Use the Force. Sense your surroundings, trust your instincts. You’re farther along than you realize_.

Lena saw the blade coming down and raised her good arm with a shout. Almost as if she had hit an invisible barrier, Kara’s blade bounced back up and Lena jumped to her feet, holding her bad arm with a hiss. She desperately threw a kick towards her attacker, using the Force as hard as she could.

Kara flipped backwards, her mask flying off her face as she stumbled in the air of Lena’s energy.

Both women struggled to get up, the sand sliding under and over their feet. Lena could sense Kara’s growing anger and frustration radiating off of her in waves. Part of her understood intuitively that the emotions came from the frustration of not know what to feel or think in the face of sudden revelation. When Lex had tried to take her head, Lena had spent her time finding Sicemon brooding over ‘what if’s and ‘if I had only’s.

Their blades crossed again, Lena struggling to meet Kara’s speed and power.

 _Stop focusing on the when,_ the strange man’s voice said in her head. _Focus on where the blow will be, trust your instincts and you will meet the blow._

Lena parried a blow, spinning and taking a strike towards Kara’s hand, trying to even out the odds with her injured arm.

They moved, Lena listening to the advice of her new mystery helper. She let the Force flow through her, trusting it to guide her, emptying her mind of everything but the here and now. She found the words of her master ringing true as she met blows with blows. But she was growing tired.

At finding that Lena wasn’t going down easy, Kara’s anger grew even more. And, as Lena began to slow down, doing the bare minimum, Kara attacked with fury.

 _Your friend is dying,_ her new ally stated. _Your priority is your companion. Your time will come_.

Lena could feel Barry’s life-force dwindling, and her heartbeat accelerated in fear that they may not make it back to headquarters in time. They needed to get to the ship.

Kara swung her saber towards Lena’s head, and as her new guide told her to duck, she felt herself drop on instinct, the hairs on her neck standing up as the blade neared her. Kara’s anger put more power into the swing than needed, carrying her with its momentum. And, while only a small amount over, it was enough for Lena to find time to throw her foot out, trying again for the Force-kick that had worked so well on the guards earlier during their escape.

Kara slid back, holding her ground and as she sneered at Lena, the new Jedi wasted no time in swinging her blade towards Kara’s hand. The sith’s eyes widened and she made to pivot, making Lena’s blade scorch a deep line across Kara’s back.

The whole thing happened across the course of a few seconds, but Lena saw it all in slow-motion.

Kara fell into the sand with a bellow of pain, her saber flying ahead of her landing out of reach by a few feet.

_The Force is strong with you. Good. Get your companion and hurry, Lena._

She bent down and took a look at Barry who had passed out on the sand. The pool of blood under his bad arm had turned the sand into an ugly maroon mush, looking like soft clay. “Come on, Lena,” she muttered to herself. Luthors never backed down from a challenge, especially when things got tough.

Luthors never lost.

She put her saber on her belt and lowered herself to try and lift Barry over her good shoulder. She strained with the effort, standing shakily on her legs. Lena knew that when adrenaline stopped coursing through her, she would be entirely incapable of helping Barry, let alone herself, far enough away from the injured sith to live to see another day.

Lena used the Force to lighten his dead weight on her body and willed herself to run, focusing on each step at a time. Her breath was labored as she ran, her face dripping sweat and blood that wasn’t hers.

She felt Kara’s pain and inwardly winced. She must have gone deeper into the skin than she’d initially intended. But she _had_ been fighting for her life.

Lena felt Kara’s anger and frustration give way to confused sorrow, and she was momentarily shocked at the amount of self-hatred coming off of the other half of her link.

She saw the edge of the other side of the canyon once they reached the top of a dune and she let out a shaky laugh of disbelief. It seemed so far away . . .

As if she had heard her thoughts, Alex’s ship rose from the canyon, flying low over the desert. Lena fumbled with the saber on her belt with her bad arm, shouting against the pain at the motion and activated it. She waved it the best she could with Barry on her shoulder and the ship hovered above them. The sand went wild around them so that Lena’s vision was practically useless.

A pair of hands grabbed Barry from her and she allowed someone else to guide her onto the entry ramp of the ship. As the door closed, Lena thought she caught a glimpse of a red lightsaber amidst the small sandstorm.

Then they were headed to space.

Lena collapsed on her back, her forearm draped over her eyes as she caught her breath.

She heard the soldiers moving Barry to the temporary medical area, treating him with what they had. Lena then sensed someone standing by her, concern radiating off their person.

Not for the first time, she was thankful for J’onn’s particular specialized Force training. The empathic aspects had really helped her distinguish individuals without using the effort of actually looking around for said person.

“Maggie, I’m fine,” she said without opening her eyes.

Maggie let out a sigh of relief. “I just . . . I just saw all the blood and I got worried. _Kriff_ , when Alex came in with a busted forehead and a shot shoulder, and then you didn’t show up.” She sat down by Lena’s head.

“Where’s Alex?” Lena asked, her heart rate finally evening out as she felt the ship jump into hyperspace.

“Working with Barry. You know, she began training in the medical field,” Maggie explained proudly. “If anyone can help him, she can.”

They fell into comfortable silence. Lena felt herself dozing off until she felt someone nudge her with their foot. She blinked up and focused on the face of Alex Danvers who held up some gauze and ointment.

Lena gave her a nod and slowly sat up, still on the floor of the ship. Alex sat down and Maggie gave her a quick kiss before standing up to venture into the cockpit. That left Lena alone with the Captain. For the first time since meeting her, it seemed as if she was intentionally trying to keep Lena out of her head.

She began tending to Lena’s arm. “You weren’t surprised to see Kara there.”

Lena hesitated for a moment before nodding. “I only sensed her right before they landed.”

“For a mission that went to the pit, they still managed to get there fast,” Alex commented, still unreadable.

“It could have been me,” Lena replied honestly, wincing as Alex’s hand wandered over the tender spot on her arm. “I’m still working on closing my mind off properly, and Kara is . . . she’s very powerful.”

Alex paused. “Was your connection with Kara . . . I mean, was that not a one time thing?”

Lena sighed, letting that sigh speak for her. Alex nodded tightly, her lips pursed for a moment.

“You saved our mission. My men were fighting for their lives in a prison overrun by soldiers and released prisoners. The objective was made fuzzy, but you managed to finish every part of it.” Alex’s voice was filled with both fear and frustration. Lena guessed the latter was aimed at herself. “And I owe you, Luthor.”

Lena looked curiously at Alex who was avoiding her gaze.

“While Kara tried to kill me, she still listened to me. And that,” she broke off, overcome with sudden emotion.

Lena put a hand on Alex’s and smiled softly at the Captain. “I know.”

“We lost a big portion of our men,” Alex said after taking a deep breath, getting a control of her emotions. “Cat isn’t going to be happy.”

Lena shook her head. “She’s never happy.”

Alex chuckled at that. “And J’onn’s going to have your head for getting hurt and for challenging a sith. And not just any sith — _the_ sith. Rhea’s Kryptonian.”

Lena groaned. “I’m crossing that bridge when I get there.”

Alex stood up and jerked her head towards the back of the ship. “There’s room for you to lie down back there and I think I have some blankets if you want one.”

Lena paused before slowly standing up. Alex steadied her when she swayed on her feet, her head spinning at the sudden movement. She gave a quiet thanks to her friend as they shuffled towards the back of the ship.

“How did you manage to get both you and Barry out of there so . . . well _alive_? I’ve heard the stories — Kara Zor-El spares no one unless Rhea specifically tells her to.” Alex spoke of her adopted sister with distance, and Lena made a mental note that Alex saw Kara in two personas: Kara Danvers, the lost sister who had also been Alex’s best friend and responsibility, and Kara Zor-El: the weapon of the Empire and the symbol of fear across the galaxy.

Lena debated whether or not to tell Alex about the mysterious voice who had helped her out. Obviously he was a very powerful user of the Force, and he seemed to have little to no trouble seeing the world from her perspective, or at the very least sensing her emotions. To achieve that sort of power, he’d have to be very old and experienced. Or he possessed some sort of power akin to Kara’s. But that wasn’t possible. Krypton had been obliterated. It was now an asteroid field circling Rao along with the remains of Rhea’s home planet, Daxam.

But there was no proof that he was even on their side. Of course, there was no proof that he was on the Empire’s side except that he seemingly wanted her to win against Kara Zor-El.

“J’onn is a very good teacher,” Lena supplied. It wasn’t entirely untrue. “His constant instruction on relying on the Force and being in tune specifically with the people that are around me — it was tiring at first, but I now see the value in all of it.”

Alex seemed to accept the answer, and Lena could understand why she would. There was no reason to suspect anything else. She sat Lena down on a bench and disappeared before quickly returning with a pillow and a blanket.

“We’ll be back on Endor II soon. Get some rest, Luthor.” With that, Alex walked away, presumably to join Maggie in the cockpit.

Lena stared at the ceiling, trying to search for Kara across whatever wavelength they shared, only to sense darkness. There was a faint flicker of her presence there, but Lena knew Kara had all of her walls up.

Lena sighed and closed her eyes willing herself to drift off, careful to keep her arm secured in its makeshift sling.

This mission had gone to the pit, as Alex had so eloquently said, but it hadn’t been for naught. They had accomplished the mission, but for some reason, all Lena felt was tired.

So she slept.

* * *

 

**Empire Destroyer — Space**

Kara Zor-El paced across the floor of the secluded room she’d closed herself in, her back covered in salve and bandages. She had to be careful when she moved, otherwise the entire plane of her back flared up in fiery pain.

Finally her holoprojector connected with her intended recipient.

“Ah, the Empress’ pet,” Lex Luthor drawled with a smirk. “I feel honored you wanted to speak to me. I figured after the whole ordeal with Kal-El, you’d be . . . _holding onto_ some . . . animosity.”

“Lena Luthor,” Kara snarled at the cocky bald man. “She was able to best me in a fight. Where did she come from? Why can she wield the Force and no one else in your family can?”

Lex’s lip curled. “Now, Kara, generally people get to know each other better before asking about family drama.” He tsked, and Kara’s fingers twitched, wanting nothing more than to strangle him where he stood. “But my dear sister was brought into our home when I was a boy. As far as I know, her heritage is a mystery. My father always did have a bleeding heart for her.”

Kara could sense his honestly and his resentment towards his sister, and she was immediately curious despie her deep seated hatred for the man. “While your extermination of Kal-El was a step in the right direction for the Empire, you still have no right to speak his name,” she snarled.

Lex waved a hand. “I know, I know. You want to kill me and probably will, though I doubt it’s in retaliation for your late cousin and more out of that infamous sith fury I hear so much about.”

“Lena Luthor is far more advanced than she should be — the Force has us linked and I want you to find out _why_ or I will tell Lillian you went behind her back and sent mercenaries to Yag’Dhul to wipe out Edge Industries’ board of directives.” Kara disconnected before he could respond.

She turned to storm out and find some way to vent her anger, but a beep behind her notified her of an incoming call. Soon Rhea’s image stood on the platform and Kara quickly bowed, ignoring the searing pain that rushed through her entire torso.

“You failed to stop the rebel forces on Geonosis.” It was more of a statement than a question.

Kara didn’t answer, her jaw clenching and unclenching.

“It is no matter. We now know they have Barry Allen, which means they will soon have the Medusa intel.” Rhea stared down at Kara with steel in her eyes. “I want you back at the Medusa mines. The Resistance will make their way there sooner than later.”

Kara voiced an affirmative before standing up.

“Something troubles you, child,” Rhea said softly.

“It’s something . . . something Alex Danvers said before she and Lena Luthor escaped. She . . . she said you were responsible for the attack on Midvale.” Kara couldn’t bring herself to look her master in the eye.

Rhea paused before responding. “I never gave the order for Midvale’s inevitable destruction.” The words were said carefully. Too carefully.

The implied truth tore at Kara’s heart and she nodded once, feeling a tear run down her cheek. All it had taken was the appearance of the youngest Luthor and her entire life and beliefs were being turned on their head.

“Recent intel has spoken of a rebel base on Kamino. I figured you needed a place to get your head on straight. Take your rubrium, get rid of the or whatever it is you do,” Rhea said, clearly ready to end the conversation.

Kara ended the call and marched to her quarters after barking a quick order of location to the admiral of the destroyer.

She walked straight to her dresser and picked up a small vial of red liquid, downing it without a second though. Kara closed her eyes as she felt it slowly take effect, feeling as if hot water was running down her person. The pain on her back disappeared, and she felt her senses heighten, her frustrations and anger becoming prominent in her mind. Everything else faded away, and she let it take her. She wanted it to.

Kara opened her eyes and looked down at her hands, seeing the veins glow a faint red under her skin. She knew without looking in her mirror that her eyes and face looked the same.

Kamino. She had always liked a challenge.

She couldn’t wait to see the base surrounded by rain and water burn under the fire of her rage.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rebel HQ — Endor System**

_Chaos. Burning. Hands grabbing her shoulders. A pod. A quick kiss. Space. Darkness. Suffocating darkness . . ._

Lena sat up violently in her bed, her legs completely tangled in the covers as she struggled to calm her heart. It had been three weeks since the Flash mission, which meant three weeks since Lena had faced Kara Zor-El, which also meant three weeks of wondering who and where her mysterious helper was.

It also meant three weeks of increasingly more visions regarding what she now knew as Kara’s traumatizing past. If Lena were to summarize the way the Force had been taunting her since she’d last seen Rhea’s ward, she’d say that it was taunting her. Making fun of her.

Not that that was possible, since it wasn’t necessarily conscientious.

But it was now common for her to walk down halls and get a glimpse of a familiar figure with blonde hair standing in the hall, only for a rebel soldier to walk by and suddenly, the figure was gone. She’d learned to ignore the glimpses she got of Kara, and she’d learned to ignore the glimpses she’d seen of Kara’s location herself.

Sometimes, they’d make eye contact. But they had yet to say anything to one another.

Lena threw her legs off the side of her bed and ran a hand through her hair.

She knew she had hurt Kara Zor-El pretty badly. She also knew that Kara missed Alex far more than she probably had admitted to herself. She knew that Kara was filled with rage and hate and anger and all the other things Lena was warned against. But she also knew that Kara was confused. Lost.

What Lena _didn’t_ know was how much contact Kara had with her family. What she knew of Lena herself. How she really felt about Kal-El’s death. The true beliefs of her heart.

Lena stood up and began to pace, not quite brave enough to venture into the halls in the middle of the night.

The past three weeks had left her busy, but it was times when she had nothing to do but engage in her inner dialogue when she found herself thinking about Kara. Thinking about the complex woman who had such an interesting past.

But the past three weeks hadn’t been for naught. If she were honest, she’d advanced far more than expected in her Jedi training, simply because she’d desired to keep herself busy. J’onn was worried about her running herself ragged, she knew, but if there was something Lena knew, it was work.

She was used to spending days and nights on her feet, drawing up schematics, figuring out formulas, helping her brother construct machines that would one day ruin the course of the entire galaxy as everyone knew it.

When Lena wasn’t training with J’onn, she was doing what she did best with Winn in his wing of the base. Or she was helping the mechanics upgrade and fix the ships in the hanger. Or she was helping Alex and Maggie and Cat with nursing Barry Allen back to health and planning their next move of attack.

Lena laid back on her bed, her mind whirling as she stared at the ceiling. If only she had someone to talk to. To distract her mind.

As if the Force heard her, she heard a sharp intake of breath from beside her and turned to look, only to sit up in surprise.

“You again?” Kara sneered. The annoyance and disgust only seemed somewhat genuine.

Lena scoffed. “It’s not as if I wanted this to happen, you know.” She couldn’t tell where they were. It seemed to be a mesh of their individual locations. Like a window across space and time. She glanced at the desk Kara sat at, looking at the paper haphazardly lying there under Kara’s frozen pen.

“That’s a star chart,” Lena observed.

Kara let out a huff of annoyance, but seemed too tired to manage much else.

“But it’s not from anywhere I recognize,” Lena added into the brief silence.

Kara flipped over the chart she was drawing from memory with an angry motion, turning in her seat so that she was facing away from Lena. “You wouldn’t. My home was destroyed long before you were born.”

Lena didn’t know what to say so she let silence permeate their space, silently wishing for their connection to end. It didn’t work.

How was it that Kara Zor-El in her sith garb and lightsaber out, surrounded by sand and the light of a setting sun sent goosebumps of fear across her skin, but seeing her almost every day since hadn’t been much more than an annoyance?

Right now, Kara’s hair was down. She still wore all black, but her garb was more leisure-appropriate. Lena hypothesized that Kara was in her own quarters, and by the looks of the circles under her eyes she’d seen earlier, had been for a while.

“You tried to kill Alex Danvers on Geonosis,” Lena voiced the moment Alex had been thinking about since they’d left the prison.

Kara only hesitated for a fraction of a second before responding. “She got in the way.”

“She was trying to _reason_ with you —”

Kara whirled around, with furious steel in her eyes. “That was not reason. That was _sentimentality_ ,” she spat. “It was weakness that I and the Empire cannot afford.”

“Caring for someone is anything but weakness!” Lena shot back, her irritation flaring. Kara had an actual chance to reconcile with her family. What Lena wouldn’t give . . . “Is that why you never stepped in to stop Lex from killing your cousin? Because you needed every tie to the things and people and _culture_ you cared about to . . . to _die_ in order for you to be able to rule alongside Rhea in . . . in _balance_?!”

Kara stood up so fast, her stool was tossed behind her. Lena could feel the Force rippling between them but she was so furious on behalf of her new friend that she couldn’t step down. Now when Alex Danvers had been so heartbroken that the small blonde girl she’d lived with for years didn’t hesitate when it came to slicing her saber through her heart.

“This coming from the woman who ran away when things got tough,” Kara growled, almost looming over Lena.

Lena looked away at that, hearing Kara scoff.

“I read that Krypton was a place of innovation,” Lena said after another pause. The statement took Kara off guard who looked at her in surprise, her mouth open a little as she tried to think of something to say.

Lena looked back at Kara, searching her eyes as she spoke. “Cat Grant has an extensive collection of archives. The Rao system remains a part of it. It was your people that first brought hyperdrive to the galaxy. It was your people who first synthesized the modern lightsaber.”

Kara swallowed thickly, clearly still at a loss for words.

Lena furrowed her brow, hoping to get Kara to think. To _see_ just what Rhea had been doing to her, had been lying to her about. She knew that the Empire kept all of the historical records away from public eye. In fact, if she were completely honest, she didn’t know of a single primary source archive bit that she’d read outside of the Resistance’s resources and those of the Luthor family in her family’s manor.

“The entire time they pursued innovation and progress with a heart of something stronger than teamwork; it was something that bonded the entire culture of Krypton together in a way that made even the most obscure guilds understand their part in the inner-workings of the whole.”

Lena looked away briefly as she tried to think of the phrase she’d read. She felt the anger-driven Force give way to something else. Like it was holding its breath.

“ _‘El mayarah’_ ,” Lena whispered as the Kryptonian came to her.

Kara physically stumbled back, looking sick.

“It was . . .,” Lena remembered the emblem on Kal-El’s robes, the broach that held his side cape on his shoulders, “it was more than your family’s words, it became a symbol of hope for everyone on Krypton.” Lena finished in a whisper, feeling the storm brewing inside Kara as if it were her own.

“You shouldn’t know this,” Kara said softly, her voice cracking. She looked at Lena with furrowed brow, her gaze getting more solid, and Lena could _feel_ the walls being constructed back up in her mind. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lena was suddenly very tired. “I may not. But at least I know what I’m doing and what I’m fighting for.”

Kara’s eyes met hers and Lena watched as the image of the sith faded until all she was doing was staring at the wall of her small room.

Lena put her face in her hands. It was so draining speaking to Kara, and it didn’t help that every time she did, it was like her emotions and her brain were sent on a ship careening towards an inevitable crash.

If the things Kara had done on behalf of the Empire were indicative of her power and influence, Lena could only imagine the sort of asset she would be on the side of Light.

And Alex Danvers . . . Lena may be living vicariously through her, but if there was anything she understood, it was lost family. Like waves radiating off of her, Lena could sense the sorrow that Alex carried with her, carefully hiding it under work and business.

The only times she was genuinely happy were the times when she and Maggie had time to themselves.

Lena laid back, musing at the prospect of another individual bringing that type of joy in her life. For someone to even _want_ to be that for a Luthor was amusing, in her mind. No, her joy came from the vision of seeing the Empire tumble and her family rightfully thrown in prison.

To see an era of peace and freedom.

As she drifted off, Lena held onto that idea.

* * *

 

It was dark, but . . . different than when she tried to get into someone’s mind who didn’t want her there. Lena had trained with J’onn to sharpen her mind and her senses, her hardest task was using the Force on _him_.

She had tried, but there was nothing, although he had complimented her, calling her an honorary Martian.

But this, this was different. This was just darkness when the sun was down and the moon was asleep. If she squinted, she could see the silhouette of trees all around her, and as she took a step, the ground gave way a little as if she were on a pile of leaves or pine needles or soft dirt.

_You and I are a lot alike._

Lena startled at the familiar, yet still unknown voice in her head. Male, calm, smooth.

_We both come from a family with great potential that we never knew and never will._

The scene shifted around her, moving as if she were in a speeder, yet her feet never once left the ground. The trees whizzed past her until she was looking at a small lake with a few bird-like creatures floating peacefully on its inky surface.

_We were adopted into a family that made us who we were, and we became entangled in a destiny we didn’t necessarily want, yet was crucial to the destiny of the galaxy._

Lena started as the scene moved again, this time to a small cave-opening in the side of a hill. The trees around it lacked any sort of foliage, and the terrain was noticeably more rocky. She eyed the cave-mouth wearily; it looked much more intimidating in the dark than she was sure it was.

_It was here that I made my first lightsaber, and it was here that I sought refuge when the Republic made its choice to stand instead of fight. When it toppled over and gave way to the Empire that now threatens the very balance of the galaxy. Of the Force._

Lena stepped forwards, seeing something engraved in the stone at the top of the cave and she paused, her heart racing. _No. Way._ Her hand reached out, her fingers twitching as she hesitated right above the engraving before feeling the cool stone.

“This emblem,” Lena began slowly and aloud, feeling slightly ridiculous at speaking to someone she couldn’t see. “This is the crest of the House of —”

_El._

Lena’s eyes widened as she whirled around, scanning the woods around her, trying to spot the man she knew was watching her. Speaking to her.

Part of her understood she was asleep and this was a vision of intentional communication through a very powerful user of the Force. But another part of her couldn’t help but wonder if this was just a vivid dream.

“You’re . . . but . . . my brother,” Lena settled on, feeling the crest engraved in the rock. “He . . . he killed you. My mother was there. She said . . .” Lena didn’t know what to think anymore.

_Coercion is effective in the weak-minded. But it also effective in the distracted one as well. They thought me dead and had no reason to protect themselves anymore. I was injured badly, but I did live._

That explained why no one found a body. Just his cape. A boot. His broach.

“Everyone thought Lex had completely obliterated you,” Lena said aloud.

_It was my best disguise. But even though I live and breathe, my time has already passed. It is time for a new Jedi to take the mantle and to be the symbol of hope for the galaxy. To right balance and restore those that have been lost._

Lena stepped away from the cave, shaking her head. “No. No, I can’t do that. I . . . I just started training! I . . . if anyone could do what you’ve done, it’d be Kara, but she’s . . .” Her voice drifted off.

 _My cousin is nearing a breaking point. She’s entering a crossroads and it will be your destiny to help her find the right direction to choose. You are the Chosen One, and only now do I see what that really means_.

“What?” Lena asked incredulously. This was getting more convoluted the longer Kal-El spoke to her.

_Find me here when you’re ready. You’ll know when and where when the time comes._

And then Lena was sitting up in her bed for the second time in less than eight hours, panting, sweating, and wondering what the _hell_ she was supposed to tell her superiors.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Endor System**

“So, let me get this straight.” Winn pointed his remote device at her. “ _You_ got personal help from _Kal-El_ when you held of _Kara Zor-El_ , and he’s just told you that he chose you because you’re, and I quote, ‘ _The Chosen One_ ’.”

Lena didn’t look up from the computer she was reprogramming. They were in charge of upgrading the software throughout the base on behalf of Cat’s insistent complaints that everything was running too slow and that their machines couldn’t track far enough.

“Pretty much.”

“Do you even know what that even means?!” Winn exclaimed, furiously pushing some buttons on his device, effectively rebooting half of the communication room’s computers. “You basically got told what your destiny was, and it was done in the most vague terms you could possible tell someone!”

Lena rolled her eyes. “Winn, I _know_ that.”

Winn stared at one of the computers as the system continued to turn on. “All I’m saying is, the greatest Jedi to ever do anything, like, _ever_ wants you _personally_ to go to _him_ , and right now, _we_ ,” he gestured between them, “are _literally_ the only ones who know about it.”

He didn’t wait for her respond before doing a strange, giddy jig. “This is _amazing_!”

Lena was getting the hint that Winn was an enormous fan of Kal-El. “This is not amazing! He basically told me it was my job to get Kara to come back to our side, and that’s a very near impossible thing to do, and I’m not saying that for lack of trying.”

Winn did a small fist pump when the computers finished rebooting without any issue before facing Lena again. “Well, are you going to tell J’onn or General Grant?”

Lena’s first reaction was to shake her head. “I . . . I don’t think its something he wants multiple people to know.”

“But you told me,” Winn pointed out.

“You’re not going to tell anyone.” Her answer was simple.

They went back to working in silence and suddenly Lena found herself looking at a young soldier, probably no older than seventeen. The young girl was on her knees, her eyes both pleading and resigned at the same time. Lena’s finger switched the blade on her lightsaber off, and it took a few seconds for her to realize that she was watching through Kara’s eyes.

Suddenly she understood why it was so hard to cut this soldier down. Her cropped reddish hair, the athletic frame . . . it was like looking at a younger Alex Danvers.

An explosion sounded from far off, and Lena felt herself glance outside. The terrain around her was nonexistent. There was rain pouring down all around her through the massive windows that made up the walls, and they seemed to be in the middle of an unending ocean.

 _Kamino_.

Lena — _Kara_ — took a step back and the girl got the hint and ran. Before long, a small ship flew out into the storm as she looked down at the bodies scattered around her feet, all of them in rebel uniforms.

She couldn’t help but watch in morbid curiosity as the glowing red in her veins faded away, and with it, the knot in her stomach grew and grew.

“ _Lena_.”

Lena jerked up to find Winn staring at her with concern in his eyes. “What?”

“You zoned out for a few seconds, and you looked like you were about to hurl.”

Lena shook her head. “No, it . . . it’s nothing. I just . . .”

 _She’s at a crossroads_ , Kal-El had said.

Lena was sure that what she had just seen had actually happened.

“I’m fine,” Lena finally said. Winn didn’t yet know of her odd connection with Kara, and she didn’t feel like explaining everything now.

The sound of boots approaching made them both turn towards the door and Maggie stood there looking slightly apologetic. “Sorry, Winn, but I’m going to have to take Lena for a bit.”

Winn just shrugged before shooting a kind smile Lena’s way. “That’s fine. We’ve got most of these already up to speed so it shouldn’t take long for me to finish this myself.”

Lena nodded and followed Maggie down the hall. “You know I have training with J’onn in a little over an hour.”

“I know. But Barry is having trouble with his robotic arm. Alex couldn’t quite figure out how to manage the rewiring to make it more comfortable on his nerves, and she said to get you.”

Barry Allen hadn’t made it to the base in time to save his arm. Kara had stabbed through the muscle and cut straight up through his collarbone leaving his limb hanging by a strip of muscle. That with the addition of a loss of blood made any other medical procedure dangerous, so Alex had gone with the safer option and just cut it off.

On the bright side, the prosthetic was very life-like in almost every way. That wasn’t an issue. But there were moments when she could tell Barry hurt a lot, and it made her infinitely grateful for what limbs and body parts she still had intact.

“Yeah, I told Alex that the Luthors had designed many of the prosthetic limbs sent out to the Empire military,” Lena explained. “I offered up help whenever she may need it.”

They turned the corner into the medical wing, Maggie flashing her ID at a droid behind the desk before waking through some sliding doors.

“I’ll be honest, Luthor, you’ve got more under your belt than I thought. I underestimated you,” Maggie said over her shoulder with a small smile.

Lena smiled back, flattered. Maggie stopped at a door guarded by a droid and a soldier. She nodded at them and they entered the room.

“If you don’t stay _still_ , Master Allen, then the arm won’t be able to do its job!” Alex was saying, clearly frustrated as she made to keep Barry from sitting up.

“I appreciate your work, but it’s fine — _aaah!_ ” Barry fell back on his bed as his body twitched, showing signs of an electric shock. “Nevermind. The, uh, the bed is fine. Oh hey Lena!”

Barry gave a small wave Lena’s way as she entered and she returned it. “What’s going on with his arm?” she asked Alex.

“Something’s shorting out and I can’t figure out what. The electrical signals firing to his nerves connected to his neural network are bouncing around in places they shouldn’t. When Allen moves his arm or shoulder too much —”

“I get electrocuted,” Barry finished for her, dryly.

Lena took Alex’s seat by Barry’s side, looking at the small table his arm laid on, palm facing up as the compartment was opened. It was bizarre to look at (she had always thought so), but she wasted no time in getting to work as Maggie and Alex began conversation between themselves on the other side of the room.

Lena stuck a tool deep inside his forearm, pushing some wires aside. Barry twitched with a muttered ‘ow’, and she looked up at him without moving her head, cocking an eyebrow.

“Alex wasn’t wrong when she said that you move a lot.”

“I can’t help it!” Barry exclaimed, dropping his head on his pillow. “I’ve been cooped up for the better part of three years, and I’ve barely had time to use the bathroom since I’ve been free! I haven’t even shaved yet!”

Lena glanced up at his beard, before looking a little higher at slightly wild eyes.

“Well, I can promise you, I will find out what’s going on, you’re just going to have to trust me.”

“I can do that,” he said easily.

Lena looked back down, to hide her face from him. This ease of trust, the way these people had taken her in, despite her rocky start at HQ, it was surreal. It was like she was living a twisted version of her best dream, and she knew that she wouldn’t want these people to leave her for the world. It was a selfish thing to think, but she didn’t know what she’d do if they decided they didn’t want her anymore.

Barry and Lena sat in comfortable silence as Maggie and Alex made their leave, trusting the two to do their job. Lena thought she heard Alex say something about helping some other patients, but she was so immersed in her work, she just grunted and nodded.

“No wonder you’re so good at Force-reading stuff,” Barry commented.

Lena glanced up at him, confused.

“Like, reading people’s emotions, thoughts, sensing where people are, that stuff,” Barry elaborated. “You’re a thinker, and you like to figure out puzzles, _and_ you’re good at it. You’re like my mentor Oliver.”

“Another Jedi?” Lena asked.

“Nah. Sort of a . . . bounty hunter? But he catches bounty hunters and stops crime rings and stuff. Does his own thing, and is the best shot in the galaxy. He has this . . . bow thing —”

“The Green Hood?” Lena asked, looking up at Barry in amazement. She didn’t realize the Green Hood — Oliver — associated with any Jedi. Let alone mentored them.

“Yeahhh . . . he likes the ‘Green Arrow’ better. But it’s still catching on I guess. And he doesn’t. Normally. But it was . . . extenuating circumstances.”

Lena shook her head in amazement, going back to her work.

There was another silence before Lena decided to ask Barry’s opinion on something since he seemed like he’d been doing what he did for a while now. “So . . . if you learned the path of your destiny and your destiny was something that you didn’t . . . not _want_ , but didn’t know how to approach, that it was near impossible, and could potentially end up changing . . . _everything,_ what would you do?”

Barry didn’t respond for a bit, and for a moment, Lena was sure he’d fallen asleep. Until she heard his soft ‘wow’ from beside her.

“That’s . . . a loaded and vague question,” he stated. “But . . . I had a choice to make, back when I had _just_ become a Jedi, right before I got caught. I had to choose either to save my mother at the expense of my closest friends, their trust in me, and their personal lives, or let her die so that my friends would remain untouched.”

 _That was just as vague as my question_ , Lena snarked in her head.

“I eventually was put in a position where I knew I had to let my mother die in order to preserve the people around me — saving my mother was selfish and that was all there was to it,” Barry said softly, his voice sounding as if he were far away, not in the present. Lena understood that. Being lost in memories like that.

“You have to judge the motivation of your actions and weigh them against one another,” Barry advised as Lena reattached some wires and closed the hatch on his arm. Barry smiled and lifted his hand, moving it around and wiggling his fingers. “Sometimes, the best things come together when you trust the people around you to help you carry your burden instead of trying to depend on it yourself.”

* * *

 

“You’re ready to construct your own lightsaber.”

Lena blinked from where she sat across from J’onn. They had just finished sparring and doing other Force-related exercises and were now in the meditation part of their training. She hadn’t expected J’onn to bring up such an advanced topic.

“I . . . I don’t think I’m ready,” Lena said slowly. “I only _just_ came here —”

“But you’ve grown so much,” J’onn said with a small smile, eyeing her proudly. “You’ve proven that you have heart, that you see the world with good intentions. You have everything necessary to be a very powerful Jedi,” J’onn stood up, holding a hand out for her to help her up, “everything except confidence in yourself.”

Lena stood up slowly. “I don’t quite understand.”

“Lena, sometimes the best thing to improve yourself is to take a step higher than you normally would in order to force you into a position where you’re outside of your comfort zone. Where you’re forced to grow.”

Lena understood. It didn’t mean she liked it.

“I can’t just wander the planet looking for crystals. Does Endor II even _have_ the crystals we need?” she asked, stressing just a little.

J’onn shrugged and shook his head. “I’m not sure. But I wasn’t planning on having you find yours. There’s another process that I think will suit you and your personal connection with the Force much better than finding a natural crystal.”

He grabbed his outer robe and lightsaber and made for the door. “Come. I think Winn has most of the necessities ready.”

Lena hurried after J’onn. “Wait. _Winn_?”

______

“This is a geological compressor,” Winn stated proudly, patting a medium-sized machine with a smile. “It replicates naturally occurring geological processes in a much shorter timeframe, specifically those from foreign planets that are too dangerous or too far for us to go to ourselves.”

Lena, of course, knew what a geological compressor was. But she was beginning to understand why J’onn had brought her here after their talk. “You want me to create a synthetic crystal.”

J’onn nodded. “It’s safer for you, although it will be very taxing on your mind. But I think you are more than ready for whatever happens.”

 _You can thank Kara for that_ , Lena thought to herself.

“I will be here with you the entire time, keeping an eye on the machine and its settings while you do your,” Winn gestured noncommittally towards her general person, “thing.”

Lena cocked an eyebrow at him before turning towards her teacher. “I assume this ‘thing’ Winn is talking about is the meditation process you’ve mentioned before.”

J’onn nodded once more. “You will be in this room, meditating on and shaping your crystal from anywhere from one to four days. The level of control you have over your crystal and the way you shape it makes it specially unique to suit you. A Jedi’s weapon is more than a weapon and it’s more than a tool — it’s an extension of your very soul.”

Before Lena could respond, Winn let out a weird, strangled, high-pitched noise, causing both Jedi to look at him.

“You guys are so _cool_.”

“When do I start?” Lena asked them both.

Winn shrugged, clearly telling them he was ready whenever they were. J’onn scrutinized the machine briefly before sighing and shrugging. “I think you should get a bite to eat and use the restroom before you begin. Once you do, you’ll be alone.”

Lena nodded in understanding. “Ok. Let’s do this.”

* * *

 

**TIE/IN (Interceptor) — Imperial Fleet; Space**

Kara was doing the patrols around her fleet while her men were doing damage control on Geonosis. The rebels had done more than broken Barry Allen out of captivity: they had rendered most of the prison useless, leaving her to deal with a yet numbered amount of wanted men and women wandering around who knew where.

She had barely slept — it was difficult to do so when any position or shifting of her body threatened to tear her thinly scarred back. The medical droid and then the medical staff had done all they could to ease her discomfort, but all they could do now was give her medication to numb the pain.

And Kara didn’t want that.

Maybe part of her didn’t think she deserved the luxury of comfort. Maybe it was because she needed a reminder of what she was fighting against. Not for the first time, Kara couldn’t help but brood over the memory of Lena _Luthor_ getting the best of her.

The way she’d moved during the last bit of their fight — there was a difference. A flow, almost like a dance to her movements. She gave way to Kara’s blows, refused to let Kara near her like a leaf in the wind.

She was learning the ways of the Force like a natural, but there was something more to her movements. Almost like she was getting help.

Kara’s hands tightened on the controls of her ship.

That wasn’t possible. Lena’s connection with Kara was already one in a million. Or a few billion, since Krypton was decimated and even then, Kryptonians, while they could attune themselves to a single person’s presence in the Force from far off, it was different to . . . experience each other’s company so clearly.

She felt a faint thrum of nervous excitement that she now recognized as Lena in the back of her mind. Something was happening wherever Lena was, and Kara was sure that whatever it was, it would do anything but help her own cause.

Her mind went back to that night on Geonosis. Alex’s face, the red glow of her lightsaber reflecting off of it. The desperation in her eyes, the _honesty_ in them.

Rhea’s words had come back to her then. They didn’t show mercy. They had to eliminate any source of personal weakness. Otherwise . . . otherwise they weren’t the best they could be for the galaxy.

That look on Alex’s face had stayed with her since the rebels had fled with Barry Allen in tow. It had stayed with her during Rhea’s disappointment at her failure, and it had stayed during her mission to Kamino.

So many rebels had died, the rage let on by the rubrium felt like freedom. Then the young cadet had looked at her with bravery in her eyes, trying her best not to succumb to her inevitable fate.

And Kara Zor-El, the weapon of the Empire, the most feared Force-user in _history_ had let her go free.

Kara turned her ship around, headed back for the main destroyer.

Rhea would never know about that night. Kara had sworn this to herself.

As the tractor beam made to pull her in, she clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth together in an attempt to quell her emotions that she normally so easily let flounder about by themselves.

Kara gave the command to her admiral to start a course back to Kessel to relieve the other Imperial force from their duties. Their mission to intercept the rebels on Geonosis had not gone as planned.

She then strode to her quarters with strict orders not to be disturbed until they had arrived.

Kara sat down on the cushion placed in front of the low-set table, lighting the candles and incense before taking a meditative position. She quietly recited a few words to Rao before allowing the Force to take her mind where it would, trying to get reprieve from her tumultuous mind and the questions she didn’t know the answers to.

If she couldn’t sleep, then she was going to get answers. She just didn’t know how.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Endor System**

Alex Danvers stood over the holographic map at the center of the large oval table with crossed arms and a furrowed brow.

The data they had retrieved from the prison on Geonosis was extensive, but most of it were prisoner logs, guard shifts and files, and supplies shipments. She had her eye on a few encrypted files, of which a majority of their analysis team were working on. But it was the _name_ of one of the larger files that caught her eye.

“You’ve been up to absolutely nothing since I left for patrols,” Maggie Sawyer stated as she sauntered into the room, wrapping her arms around Alex.

“I’m concerned about these encrypted files.” Alex leaned against her lover comfortably as she gestured towards the one she’d been staring down. “Especially _that_ one.”

“‘ _Medusa’_?” Maggie read aloud.

Alex sighed before facing her lover. “I think I’m overthinking everything, but at the same time, I think that worse case scenario is _exactly_ what Rhea is going to give us.”

Maggie gave a soft smile. “Are you sure that’s all that’s keeping you from sleeping, Danvers?”

Alex scoffed.

“I’m serious, Alex, you’ve completely _buried_ yourself in work since we rescued Barry, and I’m pretty sure it’s not because you _like_ it. Though, Winn may disagree.”

Alex looked away from her, and Maggie put a hand on her cheek, turning her head so that their eyes met.

“Hey,” Maggie said softly.

Alex gave a soft smile, her face relaxing, showing Maggie all the exhaustion she’d been trying to hide. “Hey,” she returned.

“Is it Kara?” Maggie asked softly as Alex rested her forehead against hers.

Suddenly they weren’t in a meeting room with the data of the Empire glaring and glowing at them. Suddenly it was just _them._ Existing together, for one another, with one another.

Alex let out a small hum of confirmation. “She looked at me like she was memorizing my face, like . . . like she _missed_ me.” Maggie watched as Alex closed her eyes tight, a single tear escaping. “Then she . . . she tried to kill me and I don’t know what to think anymore, Maggie.”

Maggie said nothing, lovingly wiping the tear off Alex’s face.

“I’m just . . . I’m _afraid_. I . . . I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. For so many years, I’ve been wanting to just _find_ her, you know? And then I found her and I barely knew what to say or think or . . . I just,” Alex sucked in, clearly holding back a sob as more tears fell from her eyes, “I can’t help but wonder if I am going to have to choose between my duty to the galaxy and my —”

“Sister,” Maggie finished for her, still speaking softly.

Alex nodded, now crying freely.

Maggie wrapped her in her arms, holding her close while her lover buried her face into the crook of her neck. She could feel the sobs racking through Alex’s body as she cried out everything that she’d been keeping in for the past decade or so: Midvale’s enslavement, Jeremiah’s death, her and Eliza’s escape, Kara’s kidnapping.

As Alex’s sobs subsided, and her breathing slowly began evening out, Maggie pulled back to wipe her lover’s cheeks once more with her thumbs, smiling up at her. Even with red and puffy eyes, Alex Danvers was the most beautiful woman she’d ever laid eyes on.

“I love you, you know,” Maggie whispered into the space between them.

Alex let out a watery chuckle. “I know.”

She bent down for a kiss, but before their lips met, they were interrupted by the sound of someone nervously clearing their throat.

“Yes?” Maggie asked the young, mousy woman at the door.

The woman adjusted her glasses, looking everywhere except at the two of them. “I think we’ve successfully decrypted the Medusa file, like you asked. We gave the data to General Grant, and she’d like to see you two as soon as possible.”

Maggie glanced at Alex who was wiping her face with her sleeve before nodding at the woman. “Thank you. We’ll be right there.”

Alex took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Let’s go work.”

Maggie stopped her before she left, grabbing her face and kissing her languidly a few times. “Don’t forget to let me in once in a while, yeah?” she said when she’d pulled back.

Alex smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

* * *

 

“A mine?” Alex asked aloud.

“So it appears,” Cat said as she sighed. It was a skill Alex was sure she’d spent time practicing behind closed doors. “The Medusa mine had been in communication with the prison. Seems like the warden was in the know about the whole thing. Why, I don’t know nor do I care.”

She spun on her heel pointing at the holomap projected in the center of the room. “What I do know is that this mine is on Kessel, the second most ugly planet besides Geonosis and Tatooine.”

Alex ignored Maggie’s confused face and studied the map. “How come our satellite images haven’t detected it? Surely something mining to the mantle of a planet would show up somehow.”

Cat rolled her eyes. “Some things aren’t that easy, _Alena_. Need I remind you of our depleted resources in the past few months? Or perhaps the lack of upgraded equipment? Or the bases that have been so _wonderfully_ destroyed this past _year_.”

The room was dead silent as everyone remembered the news of the General’s son’s untimely end.

“Besides, this file has done us only half the job.” Cat tsked unhappily. “It fails to tell us the _why_ behind the mining and the thing they’re mining for.”

“Well first off, it may help to mention that Medusa isn’t the mine, it’s the weapon they’re going to use the stuff their mining for.”

Alex and Maggie whirled around to see Barry Allen leaning on the doorframe, looking pale, but surprisingly resilient. He wore a loose tunic and some pants, his face still bandaged and stitched, and it seemed he was still favoring his injured shoulder.

“Barry, you shouldn’t be up —” Alex began.

“But I’m no help to the Resistance or to the Jedi if I’m lying in a hospital bed. Trust me, I heal quickly, it’s not an issue.” He stepped into the room, allowing Maggie to help him to a seat while Alex made to close the door behind him. She was stopped by a familiar figure.

“If I may, Captain Danvers,” J’onn J’onzz politely said as he joined their group.

“Well, now that the gang’s all here,” Cat began dryly, “can we continue with what Master Allen was saying?”

J’onn stood by the General, listening attentively.

“Medusa isn’t the mine,” Barry repeated himself. “It’s a weapon that the Empire is creating. Lillian Luthor is the head of the operation, and I’d bet my good arm that Lex Luthor is the man who designed it.”

“What does it do?” J’onn asked.

Barry sighed and shook his head. “I’m not quite sure. No one is. I bribed and talked my way through a lot of rings of intel, but all I have are half-backed rumors. But the common story is it’s an aerial-based compound that acts as a life suppressant.”

The room was quiet as they absorbed Barry’s words.

“You mean,” Maggie said slowly. “That it’s an airborne killer virus?”

Barry hesitated before nodding. “I guess so.”

“All life?” Alex inquired seriously. “Or . . .?”

Barry shrugged again. “If it did end up killing all living things, I’m sure the Luthors wouldn’t be too torn up about it in the long run.”

Cat studied the map for a few moments before turning towards Barry again. “What are they mining for?”

“As far as I know, they’re mining for a particular element that they will then develop into a special isotope that will serve as a core part of the chemical composition for the aerial virus. Then, all it’ll take is one shot into a planet’s atmosphere and —” Barry made an explosion noise with his mouth.

Everyone stared at him. He looked down at the table sheepishly. “Yeah, ok. Not the time.”

“Didn’t we just get back from a mission?” Alex asked aloud.

“The war doesn’t stop until it’s won, Captain Danvers,” J’onn stated wisely.

Cat nodded once, decisively. “We’re going to have to infiltrate and destroy their mining operation before it’s too late. They may have been mining for a while now, but the worst thing we can gain from something like this is more understanding of Rhea’s next move.”

“They shouldn’t be to far along,” Barry commented. “When I was imprisoned, they were still searching for the isotope. It’s pretty rare, so I’m sure that wherever they’ve stopped, it’ll be a while before they leave.”

“You do realize we don’t have the schematics for this thing,” Alex said to the General. “We’d have to break into their command room and steal _their_ schematics and make a quick plan on site.”

Cat nodded. “I know. Which is why I’m only sending three of you down there. It’s a small group of my best and most trusted soldiers — in and out, that’s all I want.”

“Three?” Maggie asked, voicing Alex’s inquiry.

“You, the Captain, and your Jedi support, Lena Luthor,” Cat answered, ignoring Barry’s attempt to get her attention.

J’onn shook his head. “That won’t be possible, I’m afraid. She’s begun a very intensive and necessary meditative state forming her lightsaber crystal. To interrupt that process could yield dangerous or inadequate results.”

Barry raised both eyebrows, clearly impressed. “A synthetic crystal?” When J’onn just looked at him, his face impassive, Barry just let out a small chuckle. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“J’onn, could you go as support?” Cat asked her loyal advisor and friend.

J’onn hesitated. “If needed, I will go. But my apprentice may need my help and guidance, and I don’t want to leave her on her own.”

Barry raised a hand. “If I may interject, General, I could go.”

“Absolutely not,” Alex said immediately.

“What?” Barry looked at her incredulously. “It’ll take at the very _least_ like a _day_ to plan this, and then there’s travel time,” he scratched his nose anxiously, “believe me, I _hate_ sitting doing nothing, and I promise I heal fast. It’s a Jedi thing.”

“It’s absolutely not,” J’onn stated dryly.

Barry glared at him before lifting his injured arm with a wince, wiggling all his fingers. “My shoulder is just a bit sore. It’s nothing, I promise.”

Cat let out a dramatic sigh after a brief pause of consideration. “ _Fine_. But when the mission is over, if you’re dead I will bring you back so I can smack you myself, understood?”

Barry nodded, seemingly ignoring her threat.

“Get on it, Captain.” Cat turned off the holomap, nodding at Alex.

Alex saluted. “We’ll be leaving in four hours.” She shot a side glance at Barry, remembering his inaccurate time estimate for their departure. “I trust we can use the stolen VT-49?”

Cat waved a hand. “Knock yourself out.”

Barry blinked. “What’s a ‘VT-49’?”

Maggie let out a bark of laugher. “He’s not going to make this trip.”

* * *

 

**The Force — Unnamed Plane**

Lena could’ve been focusing on her crystal for weeks, she could’ve been focusing on it for seconds. But the small, glowing stone floating in the middle of the undefined planar darkness, pulsing as if with a heartbeat, called to her.

She felt it as it were her own pulse.  
Lena approached it carefully, part of her aware of her physical body sitting on the ground in Winn’s lab. Her hand reached out, the pure light reflecting off her skin.

She brushed the surface of the rock, studying its lumpy shape carefully as it pulsed. It didn’t yet look like a crystal, but that was her job now. To shape it. To make it. To put herself in it.

She grabbed the rock in her hand, wrapping her fingers all around it, and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

Lena was back in the Luthor manor, her father standing stoically while Lillian yelled at him, lecturing him about bringing in an abandoned ‘street urchin’, calling her a ‘waste of the Luthor inheritance’ and a ‘hindrance to Lex’s destiny’.

She saw moments upon moments of Lillian shoving her in the background while elevating Lex on her pedestal of adoration, yet still expecting Lena to prove or exhibit perfection.

She saw the first time Lillian had slapped her. The first time Lex had stood up for her. The moments where she hid in her bed, wishing she could disappear. She remembered Lionel’s death. She remembered being locked in her room for _days_.

The rock began heating in her hand as she relived her childhood. Lena’s brow furrowed as she began to sweat.

 _No_.

Her pain, her childhood existed. But it made her into who she was. It was her source of strength because it proved to her everything she desired to _not_ become in her future. It showed her what was true, good, and beautiful even if she didn’t think she deserved those things. It shaped her into the woman she was today, and instead of letting it _fuel_ her, she let it be, and left it.

 _There is nothing you can do about the things that have already happened_ , J’onn had said.

So there was.

Lena swallowed thickly as she remembered the last time Lillian had slapped her, the way her body had turned and fallen from her seat she’d been sitting at. She remembered calling a nearby object into her hand just in case she needed to defend herself against her mother. She remembered laying awake that night, frightened beyond belief, trying to understand the implications of her abilities.

She took another steadying breath and peeked open her eyes. Her hand was still around the rock, and she was sure it was too hot for her to be holding like she was, but she felt nothing. There seemed to be less ridges, and if she squinted, she could see a warm, green glow.

Lena inhaled once more, taking a controlled breath, closing her eyes once more, letting the Force take her and guide her, focusing on the things of her soul that she desired this crystal to form into.

Suddenly she was in a meadow. Long, flowing grass surrounded her and she was basked in warm sunlight. She was standing in the middle of it, staring at endless rolling hills, marveling at its beauty.

“My mother grew up here,” a voice said from behind her.

Lena whirled around, ready to attack or defend, whichever was needed first.

Kara Zor-El stood before her, circles under her eyes, exhaustion in her stance, and a silent plea in her blue eyes.

“Why shouldn’t I attack you?” Lena growled, not standing down. “You tried to kill me before, remember?"

Kara stood with her back straight, her hands behind her back, looking every bit like a perfect soldier despite the exhaustion written all over her. “I know. I . . . I didn’t have anyone else to talk to,” she slowly admitted, as if the words left a strange taste in her mouth.

Lena hesitated before relaxing her stance. She wasn’t sure they could use the Force on each other here anyway, despite existing within the Force. Not for the first time, her scientific brain cursed her inability to understand the Force.

“Your precious adopted _mother_ and ruler of the Empire couldn’t make time for you?” Lena all but snarled, her sharp tongue acting before she could think.

Kara flinched as if struck. “No, I . . . she . . .”

Lena blinked, relaxing her stance as she understood. “You haven’t told her about . . . this.” She gestured between them.

Kara didn’t answer, which was an answer in and of itself.

Lena didn’t know if this was real or if it was the Force’s way of helping her shape her crystal, but whatever it was, they needed to settle some things, clearly. And, if what Kal-El had said was true, their destinies were intertwined, and they were inevitably going to be forced to either fight together, or against one another.

And she knew that if the latter were to happen, only one of them would walk away alive.

Lena swallowed thickly, seeing Alex Danvers’ hunched form in her head. The way Alex had first reacted when she’d learned Kara had thought her dead for so many years . . .

“Ok, let’s talk,” Lena said slowly. She thought back to J’onn’s teachings on making peace with her past. Lena sat down on the grass, and Kara soon followed, albeit hesitantly.

“Tell me about Midvale.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hit writer's block in the center of this. I apologize if it shows . . . I promise I have plans lol. 
> 
> I have Point A, and Point B. The hard part a lot of times is finding a way to connect them.

**Kessel — Kessel System**

“Barry if you don’t sit still, I’m going to shoot you.”

Barry stopped fidgeting, shooting a wary glance towards Alex Danvers. He glanced down at her blaster on her hip before smiling a little at her, albeit sheepishly.

“I can’t help it,” he offered as an explanation.

Maggie rolled her eyes from the other side of Alex, who was holding a small, digital spyglass of sorts. She brushed sand off her pants. “What do you see, Danvers?”

The twilight sun was low, casting an orange hue over them and the mine itself. The mechanism was immense, a piston pumping in and out of the drilled hole with periodic blue lasers firing down into the abyss of the planet’s mantle.

The machine itself was attached to what looked to be a base of sorts. The whole thing was mostly buried beneath sand, most likely from the repetitive sandstorms that plagued the surface of this planet.

Barry thought it looked a little . . . un-intimidating, but he knew from experiences that outward appearances meant nothing when it came to the sheer force of Rhea’s Empire.

“It’s hard to see the patrols from here. There’s a slight glare on the main bridge, and everything else is cast in shadow.” She flipped a switch on her spyglass, hoping that the night vision setting could help her. It didn’t.

“I could just speed in there and get what we need. You know, search around,” Barry suggested. “Even if I have to look, it’ll draw much less attention than if we snuck in. Less chance of someone finding us in there.”

Maggie opened her mouth to respond, only for Alex to interject before her.

“No. Absolutely not.”

Barry made to defend himself, and Alex continued hurriedly. “The idea is a good one, but with the recent recalibration to your arm, I don’t want to risk anything. We’ve only done preliminary physical therapy and you’re too valuable of an asset to lose this close to the beginning of the mission, especially to an overload in your arm’s circuits.”

Barry sat back with a small scowl, but it was clear he understood her concerns.

Maggie peered over the rock, scanning the mine with great scrutiny. “Generally, with an operation like this, the main operating room is in a position where they can oversee the most important parts of the machinery.” She pointed towards the top of the giant drill where a large metal rectangle with a window wall hung off the side of the canyon, jutting out over the drilled hole into the earth. The sun glinted violently off of the large window. 

“If that’s not the main operating room,” Maggie continued, “it’s definitely one of them.”

She turned around to see both Alex and Barry staring at her.

“What? I don’t spend all of my time around guns and mission planning, Danvers,” Maggie said with a lopsided smirk. “I did my time undercover. You learn some things.”

“Ok, so let’s assume that’s a target area,” Alex continued with the plan, eying Maggie with pride as she spoke. “It’s still not the room they’d store the blueprints in.”

Barry nodded slowly. “But it’d be close. The control room would have the digital blueprints, but the hard copies would be stored very close.”

Maggie frowned. “Winn gave us another drive to download necessary information, but that’d be too risky. General Grant wants us in and out. That’s the mission.”

“I’m just saying, I feel _great_ —”

“Nope.” Alex didn’t even let him finish.

“We still don’t know how we’re getting in,” Maggie stated after a brief pause as they watched the silhouettes of the moving guards.

Barry tapped his now shaved chin with a soft hum, causing the others to look at him curiously. “You know. I may have an idea.”

Alex opened her mouth to respond.

“Yes, yes I know ‘no speeding’.”

* * *

 

**The Force — Unnamed Plane**

“You came to _me_. Why?”

Lena watched as Kara stared at the ground, her hands almost absentmindedly pulling at the grass they sat in. She could feel the conflict in the sith that normally laid buried under Kara’s rage and fury. The confusion and loss had grown as they’d spoken, and it was curious seeing the normally imposing woman look so . . . small.

For the first time since the Force had . . . well _forced_ them to interact, Lena realized that above everything else, Kara was _lonely_. She began to understand the desperation of both Danvers sisters, though each stemmed from a different source and exhibited itself in different ways. Kara was full of rage and bitterness — she used it, hid behind it. Alex . . . Alex was full of fear and she buried herself in duty.

Kara had deliberately _chosen_ to seek her out. Though Lena figured it had been as a last resort (they _were_ fighting a war from opposite sides), it didn’t change the fact that Kara had interrupted her crystal meditation to seek for answers. Not that Lena had them.

She couldn’t help but wonder how this would affect the shaping of her crystal. The way it would pulse and breathe and . . . well _live_.

“I don’t know,” Kara finally said. “I just . . . my whole life, people have been telling me about my past when I lived it. And I don’t even remember what’s true anymore.”

“Then why stay with the Empire?” Lena asked directly.

Kara’s brow furrowed and for the first time during their conversation, her eyes were steady. “Rhea may be flawed and she may not be as trustworthy as I believed, but the path the Empire is taking and its vision to unify the galaxy is still one that I stand by.”

Lena felt the hope that had been rising in her chest fizzle out as she searched Kara’s face, realizing the woman spoke true.

“Even after telling me about your life on Midvale, about the time you had with Alex, and then about the civil war and being forced to run away from your home,” Lena watched as Kara looked away from her at the reminder of their conversation thus far, “and after seeing Rhea’s lies, you still want to stand by her?”

She let out a scoff of disbelief, her heart going out for the torn sith. “You would choose —”

“I would rather fight for what I believe to be right than to surrender to my past,” Kara countered. “I . . . the galaxy needs order. It can only attain that by getting rid of those who refuse to adapt to it.”

“Do you hear yourself right now?” Lena pleaded. “Kara,” the woman looked up at the sound of her name, her blue eyes unsure, “have you ever considered that by forcing order upon other planets and systems that you’re creating more chaos than you’re containing?”

Kara hesitated, and Lena felt panic rising in her chest as if it were her own.

“No! I . . . the Empire —”

“What about Kal-El? And the Jedi?” Lena pressed.

Kara shook her head, putting fingers to her temples as if struck with a sudden, violent headache. “No! The Jedi were _weak_!” She stood up, looming over Lena. “You are right in assuming they held peace in their hands, but when it was threatened, when danger loomed, when there was destruction they did _nothing_! They had power and they were _too weak to use it_!"

Lena flinched as Kara’s voice rose into a roar. It took a moment for her to realize why Kara had lashed out in anger. Her voice . . . it held more than rage and bitterness — it held pain. Unbelievable pain. Grief. Loss.

“When insurrection and terrorists threatened Krypton,” Lena began slowly.

“They did _nothing_. Because they wanted to avoid a war,” Kara said bitterly. “They couldn’t show favoritism. They couldn’t use their power for one planet’s troubles because it showed favoritism.”

Lena didn’t know what to say as Kara began pacing.

“Kal-El lived behind their ideals. He fought for them, became the best the galaxy had ever seen, and when it came time to prove that his Kryptonian heritage gave him power far more than the rest of the Jedi, he proved that he was just as weak as the rest of them.” She rounded on Lena as if it were her fault. “ _He left me alone on Midvale when he found me in the Phantom Zone to chase his ‘_ duties _’ and he_ chose _to allow the planet to destroy itself because he was too scared to use the power Rao had given him to SAVE IT!”_

Kara’s words echoed in Lena’s ears, and she stood their panting, having exerted much energy from roaring her buried anger out loud. From Lena’s perspective, she would guess this was the first time Kara had voiced her ire towards her cousin.

Lena slowly stood up, trying to placate the angry sith with hands held up as if easing a wild animal. “That doesn’t mean he deserved to die,” she said softly.

Kara’s mouth curled in a sneer, the first one in their long conversation. “You speak as if you had a perfect life, but we both know you didn’t.”

The statement was a low blow, but it still made Lena flinch as her mind went back to the things she’d made peace with. That didn’t mean it didn’t still hurt.

“Lex is my brother,” Lena said lowly. “He has done too much for me to ever be able to forgive him, but that doesn’t mean I want him dead.”

Kara’s eyes flashed with something akin to almost . . . betrayal. There was a brief silence.

“If fighting on the opposite side of a war makes you unforgivable, then maybe I shouldn’t have come here looking for answers,” Kara said lowly.

_She’s entering a crossroads and it will be your destiny to help her find the right direction to choose._

Lena felt a flare of irritation spike through her being. It wasn’t _fair_. It wasn’t enough for Kal-El to place this on her shoulders as if it were her job to fix the . . . the _galaxy_! She was just trying to do right by her family name — she just wanted to prove that she was something bigger, something more than the legacy her family had left for her to trudge through.

And in the process, she was thrust into a position she’d never asked for. Is this what Lex meant when he had spoken of destiny? Responsibility? Taking the gauntlet when no one else would? Making sacrifices of self to better the galaxy?

Lena swallowed the lump that had gathered in her throat, the bile rising as she began to wonder: is this what Kara was talking about? Is this . . .

No. No, she wouldn’t make the mistakes Lex had made, nor would she allow herself to fall into the trap Kara had found herself in. She would _not_ sacrifice her _humanity_ to make the galaxy a better place — to make her situation better.

“Pain is worth enduring if it means you feel _something_ ,” Lena said slowly. She looked at Kara with her chin up. “You can keep using your anger as a mask, but eventually you’ll have to address the crossroads you’re trying to avoid.”

Kara flinched as if Lena had struck her before she paused, her head tilting as if she were hearing something Lena couldn’t hear.

“The Empire is promising a strong defense and a strong unity to those who are within it, so that those who are weak without defense can easily get it when previously, no one would act at all.” Kara took a step back from Lena, her eyes unreadable. Lena could still sense the questions still swirling within her. “I don’t know if you kept me here on purpose or not, but your friends are here at the mine, and I think you know that.”

Lena didn’t know that. Her heart rate spiked as her mind raced to think of who had gone to wherever Kara was. _A mine??_ If Kara got a hold of them . . . she had a reputation for leaving no survivors in her wake. Even now in her faltering state, Lena knew Kara wouldn’t stop to spare a life.

 _Kamino_.

“Kamino,” Lena said aloud as Kara turned around.

The taller woman’s frame tensed, her shoulders stiff. “ _What_.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“Just . . . don’t forget Kamino,” Lena said softly.

Kara didn’t respond. She stood there for a few moments before vanishing from sight.

Lena released a shaky breath, and then she was in a forest. It was dark, vines were everywhere and the ground was almost swamp-like. She knew this place. And she knew the cave in front of her. The emblem carved in stone.

She walked towards the cave and hesitated before going inside.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she began to see that the walls of the small cave were glistening as if wet. She squinted her eyes, trying to focus more on what she could barely see and realized that the nonexistent light reflecting off of the walls was actually emitting _from_ the walls themselves.

“Wha —”

And then the cave flashed so bright, Lena raised an arm to block the light from her eyes, going blind for a few moments before finding herself in that cosmic-like plane where her crystal floated in front of her, suspended in mid-air.

Instead of pitch black, however, Lena could see stars all around her, as if she were walking in the middle of the expanse of space.

Her crystal pulsed a deep green, and she could feel something calling to her from it. Speaking to her. Matching her heartbeat.

Lena reached out to touch the crystal, feeling the air between her fingers and the small rock vibrate.

What was she willing to sacrifice to make the galaxy better? Kal-El had sacrificed his career. His relationships. His people. And though with noble intentions, he had inadvertently abandoned those who had counted on him and looked to him for hope. Lex had sacrificed his humanity in order to eliminate absolute power — he had seen the Jedi as such and while he had been envious of their power, he was also very much afraid of them. Thus he had made to destroy them, and he had.

And Kara . . . Kara had done both, but something came alive when she saw Alex Danvers in the flesh, alive. And Lena knew that Kara, while Rhea had been trying to squeeze the last of her out and make her a weapon for the Empire, was resisting because something stronger than her desire for the Empire’s vision and for the galaxy’s longevity was beginning to flicker inside her.

Lena clenched her jaw.

The Jedi of the Old Republic had warned against emotions in fear of them and their control. Near the end of the Republic, they had warned against using emotions to fuel their power, but had allowed the existence of things such as attachment in an understanding that to stay away from any of it was more dangerous than having it.

But there was something very strong keeping the bonds of family alive amidst strife and turmoil. Her words to Kara were true: she wouldn’t ever be able to kill her brother, despite knowing that the galaxy would be better off without him running rampant in power.

Lena grasped the crystal and felt something in her soul warm. She felt full. Connected. Full. She understood what J’onn had been talking about with a Jedi crystal. There was something there . . . something she couldn’t explain, but made all the sense in the world.

* * *

 

**Kessel — Kessel System**

Alex sprinted down the hall, Maggie and Barry in tow, the long, cylinder case holding the stolen blueprints strapped across her back. As such, her rifle was in her hands. The pulsing glow of the security alarms and the sound of footsteps surrounded her.

“What did we say about speeding, Barry?!” she called over her shoulder.

The Jedi in question was keeping pace, J’onn’s blue saber clipped to his belt. He let out an indignant sound. “I didn’t _speed_. I just . . . ran forwards and tripped an alarm.” They turned a sharp corner and Barry used the Force on some charging assailants. “And I’d like to point out that my arm is fine. We got the blueprints, right? That’s something!”

“He doesn’t stop talking,” Maggie’s voice was almost lost in the gunfire that exploded around them as troops from either side of the hall began closing in. They ducked into a crevice by a nearby pillar.

“Let me look at the blueprints,” Barry said quickly. Alex didn’t spare any time arguing, taking the cylinder off her back. She handed it to Barry who unscrewed the stop and pulled out the paper.

Alex and Maggie continued to shoot back at their surrounding fire.

“Come on, come on,” Barry muttered to himself.

“Any day now, Allen,” Maggie grounded out as she pulled Alex back by her collar, a blaster shot narrowly missing her nose.

“Ok, the core of the drill is at the top of the laser configuration at the topmost point of the machinery. If we can somehow destroy it, then it’ll at the very least delay them enough for us to get a sample of whatever they’re mining and take it back to base to be analyzed.” Barry looked out the hallway window and observed the drill arm as the piston moved up and down into the crater in the ground.

“I’ll be honest,” Alex said as she took two men down in just as many shots, “I only got half of that.”

Barry hurriedly put the blueprints back into the canister and propped it up against the wall. “I need you guys to hurry to the rendezvous point. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“With what opening?” Maggie responded sharply.

Barry didn’t answer, sprinting directly across the hall towards the window that stretched from floor to ceiling and the entire ways down the corridor. On his way, he shot a powerful Force blast to his right, pushing all of those soldiers down the corridor onto each other before smashing through the glass, shoulder first.

Just as his foot touched the edge of the ledge, he used every bit of concentration on using the Force to aid his jump, lighting his saber on the way up towards the mechanism, ready to do as much damage as possible. To Alex and Maggie, it almost appeared as if he’d shot off into the sky.

“There’s your opening,” Alex supplied in the brief pause.

Maggie rolled her eyes.

The two took down the rest of the guards, rushing down the halls, taking people down as they went, working together like a well-oiled machine. It wasn’t their first mission together, and they knew without communicating how to cover each other’s blind spots and compensate for each other’s weaknesses.

Before long, they were sprinting from the entrance they’d come through, heavy fire following in their wake.

The U shaped entrance gave them little cover, but they seemed to be on a steady track to escape. Alex turned as she heard a loud explosion, the rumble resonating deep in her chest. She turned around, finding cover behind some loading crates by an unmanned ship.

“ _Kriff_ ,” Maggie swore from beside her. Alex could agree with the statement.

They watched as the arm of the drill slowly fell down onto the ground into the crater it had previously been working in through the fading smoke around the joint mechanism that held the drill upright. Empire soldiers were running everywhere, and if Alex squinted, she could see a small blue light cutting through them.

“Barry doesn’t go halfway,” Alex observed.

“Let’s get to our ship.” Maggie jumped out from their cover and eyed the ship with the cargo hatch open. She then turned a little to look at a couple of speeders sitting there looking very enticing. “Come on, Danvers!”

They sprinted towards the speeder, Maggie hopping into the seat first, scooting forwards so that Alex could fit behind her. She flipped the engine on with a few switches, causing the machine to fumble beneath them.

“You better cover my back here, Danvers or we’re both dead!” she called over her shoulder before speeding towards the open rocky plains where their ship was landed.

 _As if I wouldn’t_ , Alex thought to herself. She shot at the turrets up on the walls on their right, hitting one and causing it to explode. With a few well-aimed shots, men around them began to fall, Maggie covering the front while Alex provided cover.

It was almost too easy, but then again, the Empire had expected a full out attack, not a small infiltration. And they were more experienced than most.

“After all the mess getting Allen, I’d like to think that things are finally going our way,” Maggie said over her shoulder.

The base soon fell from view, and the two women skidded to a stop by their hidden ship. Within minutes, the ship was off the ground and they were zooming towards the top of the mine where they had last seen Barry.

Alex let out a low whistle at the damage left in the mining hole. “That’s a big mess.”

Maggie hummed in agreement. She zeroed in on a small figure jumping and flipping, deflecting blaster shots at the top of the machinery. It seemed like Barry was being forced back by the sheer number of troops.

Alex jumped out of her seat at Maggie’s command and went to the airlock doors, sliding the emergency one open. The wind whipped at her hair, and she put a hand in front of her eyes to help her sight.

“ _Barry_!” she yelled.

The Jedi glanced in her direction before deflecting one more shot into the chest of one of his attackers before backflipping into the ship. Maggie wasted no time in shooting off into the sky, while Alex strained to slide the door closed.

Before it was fully closed, she paused, seeing a lone figure clad in black standing on an empty section on the roof of the base, red lightsaber ignited at its side, staring at their ship as it flew away.

Alex hadn’t realized her eyes were transfixed on the figure as it grew smaller and smaller in the distance until Barry came up beside her and shut the door the last foot or so for her.

“Alex?” he asked, concerned. “You okay? We . . . we completed the mission. With great success, too.” His encouragement was a little awkward, slow, as if he were trying to think of something to say in her stunned silence.

“She was there,” Alex turned to face Barry fully. “She was there the entire time and she could have stopped us.”

“What?”

“Kara!” Alex put her hands on her head, fingers grasping her hair. “Kara was there the entire time and watched us leave! Barry, she _let_ us leave!”

Barry nodded slowly. “Is . . . is that a bad thing?”

Alex let out a sigh, letting her arms fall to her side. She shrugged. “I . . . want to believe it’s a good thing. But right now, I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Endor System**

Winn put the last wire into place before shutting the panel, patting the droid in front of him with a sigh. “Ok, that should do it. Feel any better?”

The droid whistled a confirmation, spinning in energetic circles.

Winn chuckled. “Yeah, well, don’t let Cat know that. If I get too good at this, I’ll be moved to working on spacecraft full time.”

The droid let out a low whine.

“Oh, believe me, I don’t want that either. Ships can’t hold a decent conversation.” He wiped the grease off his hands onto a towel that he threw over his shoulder, inspecting the geological compressor for the gazillionth time since Lena had entered her Force-trance thingy.

The light emitting from it had begun a pure white, but now, Winn was very sure that the light was a solid green. He shook his head looking at Lena who had been sitting cross-legged for the past 48 hours, her eyes shut and brow furrowed. “You Jedi are insane.”

She didn’t answer. She hadn’t for the past two days. He’d tried to get her to.

He heard a robotic whoop from behind him and faced the droid he’d been working on. “What?”

The droid let out a series of beeps.

“What do you mean the grid —” Winn was interrupted by his entire lab shaking almost as if there were an earthquake, the lights flickering before shutting off completely. The lack of any electrical buzzing told him the entire power system was completely shut down.

He looked down at the droid, the only light in the room emitting from the compressor.

“What do you think?” Winn jerked his head towards Lena’s body. “Should we get her?”

“No,” a deep voice said from the entrance to his lab.

Winn turned to face J’onn J’onzz, a wrench in his hand outstretched like a sword. “Geez, you scared me. What’s going on?”

J’onn’s face set in a deep scowl. “I think we’re under attack. Somehow the Empire has found our location. That, or someone who doesn’t have our best interests at heart.”

The place rumbled again. J’onn faced Winn seriously. “You need to guard her with your life. And for no reason will you interrupt her meditation, do you understand?”

Winn swallowed heavily. “I . . . think so?”

J’onn nodded before running out of his lab, leaving Winn alone with his droid and Lena Luthor.

The next few minutes were the most anxiety filled minutes of his life. Winn paced back and forth, nervously playing with the blaster on his hip. He’d never had to shoot it before, and he wasn’t looking forward to ruining that streak now.

The base rumbled again, this time with more intensity. A few pieces of machinery fell from his worktable onto the floor. Winn jumped at the sound, looking up at the sound of footsteps.

He held up his gun, turning the safety off as some men rounded the corner. Winn let out a shout, his adrenaline spiking as he fired his gun wildly at them. They fell to the ground without a sound and Winn stared at them amazed.

“I . . .” he turned to his droid. “Did you see that?!”

“Yes,” a sultry, feminine voice drawled from the lab entrance. Winn’s head shot up as he took in a tall, slim woman with a sleeveless robe, a long, golden, metallic snake coiled around her upper arm. “Very impressive.”

She gave a slow smile, her lips remaining closed. The woman pulled out two pistols, slowly walking towards Winn who wasted no time in backing up, purposefully putting himself between the woman and Lena.

“Ah,” the woman’s eyes lit up when she noticed what he was doing. “The young heiress. How noble of you.”

She shot Winn in the shoulder before he could react, causing him to fall to the ground with a yelp.

His droid let out a series of angry whistles, and the woman shot it in the bulb, causing it to spark, the blaster hole gaping and smoking as it slowly fell to the ground like its builder, silently and hollowly.

Winn gritted his teeth making to stand up before the woman kicked him hard in the face. He fell to the stone floor, clutching his now broken and bleeding nose. “Freaking _kriff_ , woman!”

She stepped over him, gazing down at the unresponsive Luthor with curious eyes. “It’s been a while,” she murmured, squinting as if scrutinizing her.

“Don’t,” Winn grunted as he stood up, gun pointed at the woman. “Don’t touch her!”

The woman looked up at the mechanic with amusement in her eyes. “I admire your valiance. The bounty hunters could use more of that.”

She stepped into his personal space in a few strides, grabbing his wrist with a powerful twist, causing him to cry out, dropping the gun. Winn began to slowly collapse, trying to spare his wrist as the woman tightened her hold on him, pulling her other gun out and pressing it against his shoulder.

“But I don’t have time for you.”

Winn’s eyes widened in fear, as he began babbling a plea, crying out when she increased the pressure on his wound, her finger tensing on the trigger —

Suddenly she was gone, having been thrown violently to the side into the wall. Winn let out a few breaths, laughing in amazement at finding himself still alive. He looked up at his savior, more than relieved to see his friend standing there tall and powerful.

“Lena!” He exclaimed. “HaHAAA! _Yes!_ ”

Lena ignored him, striding over to where the woman who had attacked her had fallen. She used the Force on one of her fallen pistols, calling it into her hand as she lifted the woman up by the collar of her garb, roughly slamming her into the wall, the barrel of said pistol against the woman’s temple.

The woman gave a low chuckle, amused despite wincing against the force Lena held her with.

“I seem to remember our positions being _switched_ last time —”

“Save it, Veronica,” Lena growled. Winn could tell she wasn’t too happy at having to deal with this at this very moment.

That . . . and something was different about her after coming out of her meditative state. She seemed . . . more sure of herself? Like in the way she carried herself and used the Force. It was mesmerizing to watch, but also very scary. Winn, not for the first time, was glad to not be one of the Force.

“It’s Roulette now,” Veronica drawled.

“How did you find this place and who sent you?” Lena demanded.

“I came for you, Luthor —” she stopped mid-sentence when Lena’s finger brushed the trigger of the gun. “You wouldn’t.”

Lena paused. Winn was afraid she would take Veronica — _Roulette’s_ threat as a challenge. There was something in her eyes . . . something that reminded him of the stories the rebels would whisper about another Force-user . . . the Empress’ ward . . .

“No,” Lena decided. She backhanded Veronica ferociously. “But that won’t keep me from doing that.”

Veronica laughed, spitting some blood onto the ground. “I guess I do deserve that one. Fine. _Mother dearest_ wants her daughter back. I just happen to be the best one for that job.”

Lena’s brow furrowed. “Lillian has never wanted me on Coruscant.”

“It’s not my job to ask questions, Lena,” she practically _purred_ Lena’s name. “Only to do the job and collect the reward.”

Footsteps came close, and J’onn and Cat Grant soon rushed in, weapons wielded.

“Lena?” J’onn asked, amazed.

“She was trying to take me back to Lillian,” Lena said, releasing Roulette, her gun still trained on the woman as she took a step back.

“The base is secure and all her ground support has been detained,” Cat said as if describing scrubbing something particularly disgusting off the bottom of her show.

“Ah, so the rumors are true.” The green glow from the geological compressor made Roulette’s grin look almost possessed. “Joined the Resistance _and_ the Jedi.” She tsked.

“I really want to shoot her,” Lena said aloud.

Winn wanted her to as well.

“Lillian doesn’t just want me back for the heck of it,” Lena said lowly. “What exactly did she order you to do?”

Veronica just smirked even as a small line of blood ran from the corner of her mouth from Lena’s earlier slap. Lena must have busted her lip when she hit her. Not that Winn was complaining. The woman had shot his droid. Who he’d _just_ fixed.

“Take her to Solitary,” Cat finally ordered, begrudgingly. “She will be interrogated there.”

Lena paused for a second, her and Veronica staring each other down, one with a smirk, the other with a glare. Lena finally let her drop to the ground, and J’onn wasted no time in securing Veronica’s wrists.

“That was too easy,” Lena muttered, almost to herself.

“It was nice seeing you again, my little raven,” Veronica called over her shoulder as J’onn led her out, Cat following them. “Enjoy your _gifts_ while you have them — the Luthors are getting ready to get rid of them for good.”

Lena tensed before following after J’onn and Veronica. “What do you mean by that?” she demanded, her voice echoing in the hall.

Winn felt something cold go down his spine at the look in Veronica’s eye.

“The kiss of Rao is more than a gift — it can be quite a . . . _steal_ as well. If you know where to look.” She winked and blew Lena a kiss as J’onn gruffly moved her further down the hall.

Cat merely rolled her eyes before following them more. Winn figured she was dealing with too much to think of something clever to say.

Winn glanced at Lena, before slowly approached his friend who looked deep in thought.

“You okay?” he asked, hand still applying pressure on his wound. He knew without looking that his hand was stained with his own blood, but he didn’t feel like it was too urgent if he wasn’t light headed yet.

“She loves the game of cat-and-mouse,” Lena said, clearly frustrated. She crossed her arms, her brow still furrowed in thought. “Which means she gives just enough truth to get you guessing, masking it in mostly games and,” she waved her hand around noncommittally. Winn understood her meaning.

“But…?”

“ _But_ ,” Lena rubbed her temples, “knowing my brother and Lillian, I know that whatever they’re planning isn’t good.”

Winn made his way to the geological compressor, opening the main chamber. He squinted against the brilliant light and heat that emitted from it, hurriedly putting on a single glove, wincing against the pain of his injury. He grabbed some nearby tongs and carefully pulled the crystal out, placing it on a thick metal sheet where it hissed a little as smoke rose from the small rock.

He gestured to the rest of the small worktable where a bunch of pieces and wires were strewn about — all the pieces J’onn had asked for.

“You may want to do your thing before things get too hectic.” He gave a small chuckle. “You’re going to need that saber.”

Lena’s eyes zeroed in on the table and the crystal before flitting to the side as if someone else were standing there and had said something. Winn glanced at the area against the wall, but no one was there.

“I guess.”

Winn watched as the pieces slowly began fitting together as Lena concentrated, her eyes closed as she let the Force flow around her. His engineering brain went crazy trying to figure out her thought process and the mechanical side of the saber’s construction as it happened.

A few minutes passed, in which about a quarter of the mechanism was constructed before it fell to the table with a heavy _thunk_.

“ _Kriff_.”

Winn blinked, startled. “What? What is it?”

“No,” Lena said almost to herself. She rounded on Winn, her green gaze laser-focused. “What do you know about the elemental properties of Kryptonian alloys?”

Winn made to shrug before groaning at the pain of the action. “I know there’s more to it than our science can currently explain. One of my professors at university had written a paper about how the very core of the planet held something very ‘Force pure’ or something —”

Lena nodded almost distractedly. “Lex used to talk about radiation that made the very life-force of a person grow weak. He experimented with many things and minerals, testing it on animals and other living things, but could never get it right. Lex was less focused on the Force at the time and more on creating a weapon that could have massive effect from a safe enough distance.”

“Like . . . the Medusa virus?” Winn asked slowly.

Lena blinked. “The what?”

Winn had forgotten she’d been in a meditative state for the past two days. “The Medusa is Rhea’s new weapon. Alex, Maggie, and Barry went to the mine on Kessel where the Empire is extracting some sort of mineral or element that will allow them to create an aerial disease to effectively . . . wipe out all living matter on a single planet.”

Lena looked visibly sick, leaning against the worktable where she had begun her saber construction. “Not . . . not exactly, but . . . but yes. Yes, that’s . . . that’s Lex’s work.”

Winn didn’t know if he should comfort her or not, so he remained silent, letting her think.

“What if there was a way to only target Force-users?” Lena asked out loud. “I know,” she said as Winn opened his mouth to respond, “it sounds bizarre, even crazy. But if there’s anything I’ve learned since this whole mess got started it’s that the Force doesn’t make sense.”

“Um . . . I don’t . . . I mean _maayyyybeeee?”_

“Krypton single handedly gave birth to the most Force intensive people the galaxy has ever known. Even now, the last two known Kryptonians are considered the most dangerous people alive because of their immense power.” Lena was going into full lecture mode. “What if there was a way to nullify that? To nullify someone’s connection to the Force? There are many ways one could do this . . . but —”

She slapped a hand to her forehead in realization. “ _Kriff_.”

Winn noted that was the second time she’d sworn in the past two minutes.

“I think it’s possible Winn. And I think I know how he’s going to do it.”

She faced her saber and the pieces spun in the air wildly, fitting together much quicker than before. If Lena hadn’t proven herself to be a very, very intelligent human with great understanding of mechanics, Winn would’ve been _very_ concerned about her rushing what J’onn had made sound like a _not_ rushed process.

She called the finished handle into her hand and lit the saber in the darkened room, the sound of the ignition echoing as the glow reflected off of their faces. Winn stared in amazement as his friend swung the blade a few times, looking at the blade with awe and determination.

He was looking at a Jedi, and he was not disappointed.

“I need to go to the Archives and look at a map of the Rao system.” She put her saber up and clipped it to her belt. “Lex is a dangerous man. He has a vial of Kal-El’s blood, and he has the means towards a planet’s core.”

Winn nodded once, both of them blinking as the sound of the electricity turning on surrounded them before the lights flickered back on.

“I’m just going to go see the medic now.”

Lena nodded once, her face paling. “Do that, and hurry.” She looked at him seriously. “They’re coming.”

* * *

 

**Space — Endor System**

Kara stared down at the moon she had followed the escaped thieves to. She had expected the Resistance to make a move against the mine, and thankfully, they had gotten enough of the needed mineral before Barry Allen had destroyed their operation. Literally.

She hadn’t expected Cat Grant to send in three rebels, one of them being the subject of much of her thought as of late.

She had been torn from her . . . _discussion_ with Lena Luthor by the sound of emergency alarms. Wasting no time in thinking, she had acted, sending men jumping out of her way as she strode down the halls.

Kara had seen Alex Danvers and her comrade turn down a hall towards her, and instead of attacking them unawares, she had paused inexplicably. Watched. Let them go. She had gone to the roof of the base to survey the damage before following the sound of gunfire to a rushing speeder. Not soon after, a small rebel ship had come back and taking Barry off the damaged mechanism.

She had barked angry orders at her men and taken a ship to follow theirs, zeroing in on their broadcast signal as they contacted their base. That, and a little Force help.

Kara, for the first time since leaving her conversation with Lena Luthor, revisited the words that had been shared and spoken. She still didn’t know what to think about everything. About the things Lena had said about Rhea and the Empire.

There was much Kara understood as Lena had spoken, but there was still much that Lena herself didn’t understand about Kara’s stance.

The rebels were still part of an insurrection that needed to be stopped. She would just have to do it by herself, because Rhea had proven herself someone who couldn’t be trusted.

More of her ships appeared in space around her from hyperspace.

There was a beeping on her console, indicating an incoming message. Kara flipped a switch before growling. “ _What_.”

There was the sound of tsking from the other side. “I don’t know what it is with you Kryptonians and simple manners,” Lex said from the other side. “I see you’re in the Endor system.”

Kara’s jaw clenched.

“It so happens, that I am as well.”

As he spoke, more ships appeared from hyperspace, making her somewhat large number of men double into a sizable force.

“My mother had sent in a hired hand to do the hard work. And what do you know, we’re at Endor II.”

Going in and planting a trackable beacon. Bold and daring, and very stupid. But very _Luthor_. “Just stay out of my way,” Lena snarled.

“As you, what? Destroy the entire base and everyone in it?” Lex sounded almost bored. “Your anger and wrath is quite famous, Kara Zor-El, but you’re messy. We _need_ that base intact. Who knows what they have down there. As for people,” he paused, “the Empire needs the General. But _I_ need my sister alive.”

Kara didn’t say anything, thinking of the sister she’d recently learned was still alive.

“Do you understand?” Lex’s cocky tone had Kara imagining turning him inside out.

“I _said_ : Do. You. Under—”

“ _Yes_ ,” Kara snarled.

“That wasn’t terribly difficult,” Lex said, almost happily.

Kara flipped a switch, effectively terminating their conversation. She took a deep breath and exhaled, her mind going back to a green field and blue skies. There was something she was missing, something that she could barely brush in the recesses of her mind, but she didn’t know yet.

The unease, the turmoil in her soul . . . she _hated_ it. And yet . . . she also hated using it. It was easy, yes. It brought relief, yes. But . . . but there was exhaustion in it. Loss in it.

Ever since Lena Luthor had arrived in her head and refused to leave, everything in her world was turning upside down.

She didn’t trust Lex in any capacity. But she agreed that Lena Luthor should remain alive. She was the key to helping Kara understand.

Understand what exactly, Kara didn’t yet know.

But maybe . . . it was a futile thought that Kara immediately threw away before it could be formed.

Her head began to pound and suddenly she was in a room filled with metal and tools. A man with a bleeding shoulder stood by Lena Luthor who looked just as she had in their . . . whatever it was when they had been talking.

“A geological compressor,” Kara said aloud, impressed as she recognized the machine along the wall.

Lena glanced her way, clearly surprised and interrupted. But she didn’t do anything more to acknowledge Kara’s presence.

The sith watched in amazement as Lena constructed her saber, talking about her brother and Kara’s destroyed home as if she wasn’t standing there. Part of her wanted to be angry, but she mostly wanted to listen.

 _What if there was a way to target those who used the Force_.

He _wouldn’t_.

“ _Kal-El’s blood_ ,” Lena had said, glancing her way.

Kara was going to _kill_ Lex Luthor —

Kara remembered the preliminary tests with the newly formed isotope for the Medusa, remembering how every plant it touched turned to dust. Wilted. Died. Every living thing. And then she imagined manipulating the isotope with both pieces of Krypton’s scattered core and Kal-El’s blood and —

She clenched her fists. Rhea wouldn’t allow the Luthors to go against her like this. She wouldn’t allow Lillian and Lex to walk away unscatched. Not when her . . . her _ward_ was a Force user as well.

She imagined Lex having power over her, and grit her teeth.

“You better hurry,” Kara said before she could stop herself. Lena’s friend said something about getting medical attention. “Lex is in the moon’s vicinity as we speak, and he — _we_ have a small army. He wants _you_.” Kara didn’t know why she included that.

Lena gave a small nod, her face paling as her hand grazed the new saber on her hip.

They hadn’t left on the best of terms, and some part of Kara thought it fair to give Lena warning. She pulled herself out of their Force-connection before Lena could say or do anything more.

Kara sat in her small ship’s cockpit, staring down at the base.

 _El-Mayarah_.

It had been so long since Kara had heard those words. She had a faint memory of her father lifting her in the air, laughing boomingly as he spun her around. The crest was clear on his broach.

She blinked, bringing herself to the present as she steered her ship with the others towards the moon’s surface, the forests gradually growing in size as they drew closer.

She could barely envision a world like that again. Part of her hoped — _no_.

No, she’d done too much. Gone too far.

Kara tightened her grip on the steering of her ship, ignoring the taste of salt at the corner of her mouth and the slight coolness on her cheek.

“Long live the Empire.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Rebel HQ — Endor System**

Kara’s warning had spread an icy fear through Lena’s body that was impossible to describe. She had ordered Winn to hurry, telling him to let anyone and everyone know on his way to the medical wing of the inevitable attack.

They had probably an hour or so, most likely less if Lena knew anything about Lex. While the man was a genius and a cold, calculating monster, he was impatient. And Kara had said they were on the Resistance’s doorstep.

Lena herself had raced into the main control and communications room, letting General Grant and J’onn know exactly what she had learned, though was vague on the means of attaining such information.

She knew J’onn would ask later, but, for now, she needed to help them save lives.

“We have preliminary missiles incoming!” a woman sitting in front of a computer displaying a radar called urgently.

As she spoke the base gave a faint rumble, loose silt falling from the ceiling.

Lena gritted her teeth, her hand on her saber as Cat marched around barking orders.

Alarms began sounding, the now familiar piercing screech ringing in Lena’s ears. She turned at the sound of footsteps.

“We have soldiers running to defense positions and battle stations,” Alex said in between hard breaths. It seemed she’d been running around for a while. Most likely barking orders much like Cat was at that very moment.

The base shook again.

“Damn it, Captain, get those men in the air! Surely Sawyer has the squadrons doing _something_ besides waiting for my approval like a rookie!” Cat snapped before ordering the emergency hangers to be opened.

“Maggie isn’t a ranked officer,” Lena voiced, confused at Cat’s easy trust of Maggie’s command.

“She refuses to receive any official title,” Alex explained briefly.

Barry ran in, looking slightly ruffled. “We’re being attacked!” he exclaimed helpfully. He faced Alex. “What do you need me to do, Captain?”

They braced themselves as the base trembled again, this time, the lights flickering.

“And we just got the system up and running again,” Alex muttered under her breath. “Allen, you and I are manning ground support. Cat is in charge of what’s going on here, and Lena — ”

“She’ll be helping me with refugee and prisoner evacuations,” J’onn interrupted, joining their group.

Lena met his steady gaze, nodding once in agreement.

They made to split, Alex grabbing Lena’s arm before the youngest Luthor could leave. “If you see or encounter Kara, promise me you won’t kill her.”

Lena blinked, stunned at the request. “I . . . I wasn’t ever planning to.” It was the honest truth. Jedi code aside, the thought of killing anyone, let alone the complicated woman who had been invading her space (quite literally) hadn’t ever been a consideration.

“I just,” Alex let out a frustrated growl. “If she doesn’t come around soon, she’s the biggest liability to the Resistance’s hold on what’s left of the Old Republic. She needs to be stopped and if it comes down to it,” Alex hesitated, “I need to be the one to do it.”

“Alex —”

“Don’t.” Alex’s tone left little room for argument. She gave a wry, lopsided smile that looked more sad than anything else.

Lena took in the look in her eyes and while she saw sadness and fear, she also saw a hope there that hadn’t been there before.

“What happened on Kessel?” Lena asked.

The base shook again.

Alex released Lena’s arm. “Later. Right now, we have a job to do.”

She saluted Lena before dashing off, Barry hot on her heels.

J’onn gestured for Lena to follow him, and they ran to the wing housing the refugees, running past lines of rebel soldiers hustling the opposite direction.

“The Red, Green, and Yellow wings are going to Hangar Four,” J’onn instructed pointing down a corridor to their left. “I’ll take the Orange, Gold, and Blue wings. Meet me in Hangar Seven when you’re finished.”

Lena nodded, making to run and help the people evacuate.

“Lena!” J’onn’s voice stopped her and she turned around to see him give a small smile. “Stay safe.”

She smiled. “Will do.”

Then she turned and sprinted down the corridor. People were already filing out, bags of their stuff bundled under arms, children crying, people shouting, others trying to calm each other down.

Though they no doubt had their own summarization of evacuation protocol, Lena knew they needed someone to guide them.

The base shook again, the lights flickering once more as people shouting in alarm.

“Everyone! Follow me and make sure you have everyone in your bunk. People are far more important than possessions!” Lena’s voice strained at shouting over everyone, but soon had enough people’s attention that she began to move towards the hangar instructed by J’onn. 

“Who are you and where is Master J’onzz?!” a voice called.

She faced them and lit her saber, the people nearest her taking a step back, their gaze fixated on the green blade in awe. Lena savored the low hum of the weapon, the way it felt _right_ in her hands like a friend she hadn’t known she’d been missing. A part of her soul imbedded in a physical form.

“I am Lena Luthor, padawan of J’onn J’onzz and Jedi of the Resistance. And if you follow me, I promise I’ll get you to the ships safely.”

There seemed to be a murmur of consent, and so she led the mob with her saber guiding the way, the green glow a beacon for the people following it.

 _You are the Chosen One of the New Age,_ Kal-El’s voice came into her head, his presence near her though she knew he physically was not. _Do not forget your destiny when it comes near. She is here, and you know it_.

Lena did. She’d sensed Kara’s presence as soon as the Kryptonian had set foot on the planet itself. Their connection stronger than anything she’d read about or could have imagined was possible.

She would face Kara. She was more ready than the last time, and something told her that after all the time that had passed since their last duel when Lena had left a nasty scar across the sith’s back, Kara was more at the center of her crossroads of destiny than ever before.

And an unsure soul was a soul more easily swayed towards either direction.

It was Lena’s job to find her before Rhea got to her again.

Lena clenched her jaw.

She just hoped it didn’t end up with one of them dead.

* * *

 

**Endor II - Space — Endor System**

“Green Leader, on your left!”

Maggie watched as the ship in question took a sharp dive as an enemy TIE fighter veered over to where it had been, firing furiously.

Her alarm systems beeped, indicating that someone had her in their sights, and she cursed, veering to the side before taking a sharp loop upside down, gunning down the fighter skillfully as she levelled out behind them.

The droid on her ship gave a few whistles, the translation appearing on the screen by her controls. She let out a sharp bark of laughter.

“Man, ST, you definitely didn’t get your vocabulary from Winn, I’ll give you that.”

“Captain Sawyer,” a voice called in on the comms.

Maggie grunted as she whizzed past a group of TIE fighters, diving down to shoot more in the process. “I thought I told you people not to call me that. I don’t wear the uniform, I don’t have the title.”

“We have visual on another destroyer having just come from hyperspace.”

“ _Kriff_ ,” Maggie swore.

If the soldier hadn’t raised her attention amongst the continual radio chatter as her men fought the _swarm_ of enemy fighters, the additional cloud of ships appearing from the far side of the nearest destroyer definitely alerted her of more enemies.

“There are too many! I can’t —”

A line went dead.

Within seconds, she lost man after man after man after man and Maggie gripped her steering tighter, feeling sweat run down the side of her face.

“Head count!” she ordered.

Men began sounding off.

 _They didn’t have but a little under half of their men left_.

She had to act quickly.

Maggie swerved skillfully around a group of TIE fighters, getting their attention, before rocketing off, the swarm following her like angry wasps.

“Cap — I mean Sawyer, ma’am, you can’t —”

“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do,” she muttered under her breath. “Ok, boys,” she said aloud, flipping some switches, “I didn’t out-race five hundred thousand credits worth of losers to get shot down now.” She braced her hands on her controls. “Ok, ST, let’s give it to ‘em.”

Her droid gave a whoop and they jerked up vertically. Maggie shot up and around, the TIE’s furiously attempting to follow her. With a sharp twist and a well aimed shot, she blasted through the middle of the swarm which was still going upwards.

The part of the swarm following her crashed into the back half of their squadron, leaving a huge explosion and a few lucky fighters following in her wake.

Maggie gave a triumphant whoop.

“Ok, squadron leaders, here’s the plan. See the leftmost destroyer in their V-formation. We’re going to release hell on the starboard side and take out their thrusters.”

“What about the TIE fighters?” someone asked in the comms.

“If we continue as is, we’re going to keep dying until there’s nothing left, and let me tell you, I know we all have people down there who need to get out. But we can do better than buy time. Do as I say. Trust me, I’ve seen this done before.”

She ended her transmission. “Once,” she said to herself as she pressed forwards.

Maggie whizzed around the destroyers, hanging low, close to the surface of the ship as she led her men towards the target ship. It didn’t take long for the rebels to get into formation.

“We have one try to get this right and we have to do it quick. We’ll be a gathered, sitting target for about ten seconds, which is long enough for all of us to die if we don’t act quick. Everyone, missiles ready.”

She got their affirmatives, shooting down some enemies as they swung around, facing the ship’s starboard thrusters.

“Ready . . .” She waited for the TIE fighters to get a little closer, “ _Fire!_ ”

At once, twenty or so missiles made their way towards the main thruster. Maggie didn’t hang around long enough to see them make contact, immediately ordering her men to scatter.

She dropped down and to the left, taking enemy after enemy out, dodging even more so as the shadow of the destroyer veered suddenly as they lost control.

Maggie soared upwards until she had a vantage point and smiled amidst the triumphant yells of her men as the destroyer veered to the right, scraping itself across the tops of the other destroyers, explosions occurring everywhere as chaos ensued.

“Let’s give them hell.”

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Endor System**

The group of speeders didn’t know what hit them as the ran into Winn’s invisible net, blue electricity sparking around them as their transports exploded.

“Remind me not to get on Winn’s bad side,” Barry said as he watched them explode.

Alex ignored him, giving a signal to her ground units. She watched as they split up into the dense forest, their dark green uniforms disappearing quickly in the foliage. The guerilla support — tactical teams trained in navigating the forests and the trees in a quick and efficient way — was Alex’s chance at maybe catching any oncoming ground troops by surprise.

Another wave of speeders came in and Alex waved her hand, giving the signal to ignite the second net. They soon went down as well.

“Where are the other troops? This seems a little —”

As Barry spoke, shouts of alarm were voiced from next to them on the roof of the base entrance as a large number of Empire soldiers descended from the sky, clearly dropped from above, using modified jetpacks to land in the middle of the clearing.

Gunfire immediately was exchanged between both sides, and though the rebels had a tactical advantage with higher ground and surrounding the enemy soldiers, Alex could tell this was only the first wave. Her thoughts were confirmed when another ship zoomed by, low to the trees, the roar deafening and the wind tossing her hair.

More Empire soldiers landed in the clearing and Alex watched as her ground troops began to engage them.  

“‘Easy’. You were going to say ‘easy’, weren’t you?” she shot towards the Jedi beside her.

He grimaced in apology and jumped down into the clearing to help, his lightsaber igniting before his feet hit the ground.

Alex made to join him, pulling out her favored pistol when a certain bald head got her attention as it weaved around the edges of the crowd, moving slowly but steadily towards the base entrance.

She had only seen that head once: standing over the dead body of a childhood friend and fellow soldier as the rebels fled what was now one of the Luthors’ many factories on a now taken planet.

Alex had thought this was entirely Rhea’s operation. It was common knowledge that the Daxamite and the Luthors had a tentative alliance, held together only by common goals. The rebels knew that if the Empire were to conquer everything, they would be thrust into yet another way as the Luthors would soon try to dethrone Rhea completely.

She was sure Rhea knew this too.

“Ok, Lex,” Alex muttered to herself as she sprinted down the stairs and made her way towards the clearing. “Where are we going?”

She stepped onto the earth, her ears filled with the sounds of shouts and blaster fire. She looked around frantically, scanning the area for the man she knew had come through here.

Maybe he had already made his way into the base . . . but she had to make sure . . .

Alex shot a charging soldier, turning and kicking another in the diaphragm before taking him down with another shot.

She scanned the area again and saw no trace of the Luthor amidst the chaos —

Alex heard a familiar voice give out a startled yelp from nearby and watched helplessly as Barry Allen was thrown in the air like he was nothing, his head colliding heavily against a nearby tree. She looked back to where he’d been thrown from, her gun up and ready to shoot.

The crowd cleared only for a moment, and Alex felt as if her heart had stopped for a fraction of a second before racing wildly. She knew that mask. Those robes. The hair.

Maybe Rhea and the Luthors _were_ working together after all.

She caught a glimpse of something at the corner of her eye across the large entrance to the base. “ _Lex Luthor!_ ” she bellowed.

As if that would get him to stop.

He looked up, startled before making eye contact. He saw the barrel of her gun pointed towards him and made to do the same with his, but a glance back made him smile and he just saluted before sprinting into the rebel HQ.

Alex didn’t make it a single step before some invisible force stopped her in her tracks.

She felt the airway in her throat begin to close, as if invisible fingers were grabbing her and _squeezing,_ the pressure slowly increasing like a snake taking its time.

Her feet left the ground as a familiar figure stepped from the chaos towards her.

“You think I wouldn’t see you where you stood, _Captain_?” Kara Zor-El’s voice was unreadable and distorted through her mask.

“K-Kara,” Alex choked out, feeling the pressure in her head increase.

“You’ve proven to be a great distraction in my mission towards galactic unity.” Kara’s voice seemed thoughtful as if describing the sky. “Distractions are meant to be eliminated.”

Alex could feel the darkness closing in on her central vision and struggled to bring her hands up, only to realize she’d dropped her gun.

This was pitiful. This was . . . this was _unfair_. She had searched for _years_ for her sister, to get her back, to look her in the eyes and know that the scared little girl who had crashed at their home in Midvale and thus crashed Alex’s entire life was still in there. She had to know if she was fighting for a lost cause — a hopeless dream.

And now that hope, the single reason for her drive, for her _being_ — it, no _she,_ was crushing the very life out of her.

Alex felt a tear escape her eye. “Y-you’re m-my si-sister, and,” she tried to gasp for air, “I l-love . . . you.”

Alex Danvers’ form fell to the ground as the Force released her and Kara Zor-El stepped up to her, looking down through cold, dead eyes of a black mask.

She could sense a faint life-force still flickering inside the woman. Kara Zor-El paused. It would be so _easy_ to just end her like she’d already ended _so many_ rebels before this attack and even on the way here.

Instead, without another thought, she flung her arm and Alex Danvers’ form was flung against the concrete of the base’s wall before the Last Kryptonian strode into the rebel base at the heels of the man who strove to end her with her cousin’s blood.

* * *

 

 _Kamino_.

_Kamino._

_Kamino —_

Damn it all, why did Lena Luthor have to remind her of that mission? That moment of weakness? That . . .

Kara couldn’t get the name of the planet out of her head, the people she’s spared since then as if it had opened a gateway of mercy and other things that would give Rhea the excuse to throw her away and out.

She’d spared Alex Danvers, and part of her understood that it was because she wasn’t strong enough to bring herself to end the woman. This conflict that had been growing and raging inside of her, taking her energy, taking her thoughts, consuming her day and night left her wondering why she continued to fight it in the first place.

Kara sliced through a few oncoming rebel soldiers easily, her saber humming strongly beside her.

“Where are you, Lex Luthor?”

She followed what she knew of his expertly guarded presence, encountering few soldiers along the way. It wasn’t long before she found herself in a great, cavernous room immeasurably tall, shaped like a vertical cylinder.

 _The archives room_.

Kara stepped onto the walkway that ran from her door to the center column. From there she could see small pods of sorts that would normally carry those who wanted to read or research certain information. Her footsteps on the tile floor echoed ominously.

“Kara Zor-El,” a voice behind her boomed, filling the room.

She whirled around to see a dark-skinned man holding what looked to be a purple lightsaber.

“It’s not often someone can catch me off guard like that,” she responded, holding her saber up as well. “I thought the Jedi had all but run away.”

“Not all of us.”

She tilted her head in acknowledgement before darting forwards at inhuman speed, her saber arcing quickly. Kara wasn’t terribly surprised when the blow was blocked, the blades sizzling as they connected.

They exchanged blows, their weapons blurs as they connected, parted and connected again. Kara stepped in closer to gain advantage pressing their crossed blades close to the man’s face.

The lights of their blades illuminated the determination in his brow.

The room rumbled again as her second wave of bombers flew over the base.

“You are Lena Luthor’s mentor.” Kara was beginning to understand the youngest Luthor’s quick adaptation to the Force. While the man in front of her was well-guarded, she could sense his wisdom, and the firmly planted character within him. “You’ve trained her well.”

“She learns well.” He threw her back a bit, ducking to sweep a leg under hers. She jumped, spinning to slam her saber down to where he had stood, only to turn instinctively, using the Force as he was descending from a mighty leap.

He grunted as he hit the wall, quickly standing back up.

They clashed again, a furious pace, and part of Kara enjoyed having a worthy challenger. She used all of her fury, her frustrations that had been building in the past few months, releasing her anger through her blows.

It wasn’t until her blade was under her foe’s chin and they were both panting and his saber cast aside that she realized she had won, and the fight was over. He made no attempt to get his saber back and looked into the eyes of her mask with his chin up.

Kara took off her mask, feeling as if this man deserved to look her in the eye before he died.

“You are formidable. Truly a master,” she said, her voice echoing in the great room. “It’s a shame you have to die.”

The man kept his chin up. “I don’t intend to until my family is rightfully avenged.”

Kara furrowed her brow, not understanding until she saw his eyes flit to something behind her. She whirled around, seeing nothing and it wasn’t until a cloud of dense smoke exploded around her that she realized she’d been tricked.

Kara let out a blast of energy from her person, immediately clearing the room, and when the smoke had dispersed, she found herself standing along in the great archive room. The sith let out a furious roar of frustration, clenching her fists at her side as the central column behind her sparked and crunched under the Force.

She bunched her legs and was soon zooming out of the room, intent on finding Lex Luthor and getting answers as she had been beforehand. The Jedi could wait. Right now, she had more than a score to settle with her supposed ‘ally’.

* * *

 

“I didn’t think you’d come for me.” Veronica stood up as Lena typed the override code on her individual cell, her words muffled by the thick glass. She smirked as Lena pointedly didn’t make eye contact.

Lena punched the code in, stopping Veronica from stepping out by using the Force to quickly latch cuffs on the woman’s wrists.

“Come on, we need to get you to the evacuation point.”

Veronica’s smirk had yet to go away, and stepped into Lena’s space, her eyes clearly raking up and down her old acquaintance. “Lead the way.”

Lena rolled her eyes, and grabbed Veronica’s arm, thrusting her forwards, opening the door to the corridor, revealing people running every which way, rebels and prisoners alike.

“They sure caught you by surprise,” Veronica mused. “I knew that Lex wanted you back soon, but this is impressive, even to me.”

Lena turned to face her prisoner. “You planted a tracking beacon somewhere on this base.” The accusation wasn’t a question.

Veronica chuckled. “Now, Lena, you should know me better than that. I didn’t put it on the _base,_ I put it on _you_.”

She seemed quite amused as Lena dug in her pockets, finally finding pulling out a small finger-sized piece of metal. It was completely black, sans a small, blinking, green light on the tip of the rectangle.

Lena crushed it with the Force and shoved it back in her pocket. “When I attacked you —”

Veronica merely smirked again.

“What did you mean about the ‘kiss of Rao’?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Save it, Veronica,” Lena snapped. She saw Veronica’s eyes flicker down to the saber on her belt. It seemed part of her bravado was a facade after all. “We both know you have a flair for dramatics, but what you said earlier was the truth. Is Lex manipulating Kryptonian alloys with the Medusa weapon to create a weapon against the Jedi?”

Veronica smirked, lifting her chin. “If he were, how do you think you’d be able to stop her?”

Lena opened her mouth to respond only to be interrupted by a very, all too familiar voice. “Yeah, Lena? How would you go about that, dear sister?”

Lena whirled around. “Lex,” she snarled.

“What a _reunion_.” Veronica sounded entertained. “Remember my compensation, Luthor,” she said to Lex.

Lena got the attention of a few nearby soldiers escorting a group of prisoners down the hall. The traffic was much thinner than earlier, and she knew that the ships’ engines were being started. Evacuation wasn’t supposed to take long anway.

“Take her, and tell Master J’onn to send the ships off to the secondary location.”

The troops nodded and took Veronica with them, not sparing her any kindness as they jerked her forwards.

“It was nice seeing you again,” she called over her shoulder.

Lena ignored her, not letting her eyes stray from her brother. He looked about the same as when she’d left the Luthor mansion: suit crisply maintained. Purple tie. Bald head. Dark, calculating eyes.

Many of the galaxy thought him mad and questioned his sanity, but Lena knew better. What made it so much worse, she thought, was that he knew _exactly_ what he was doing and _chose_ to continue, not for the sake of the Empire, but for his own personal ambitions. And fears.

His hatred of the Jedi was consecrated in his fear of them. Of that, Lena was positive.

“You always were so very _brilliant_.” He sounded genuinely impressed. “I am reminded of why you always insisted on being put in R and D rather than taking part in Father’s business department.”

“I had little interest in selling parts and machinery to greedy men who would take my designs and use it to further oppress and destroy the Republic.” Lena unhooked her saber from her belt, not yet igniting it.

She noticed Lex’s eyes flicker down to it, disgust flashing across his face.

“And yet, you still designed anyway.” Lex’s eyebrows rose pointedly.

“I needed to keep myself busy and it was the best way to stay as far away from you and Lillian as I could,” Lena retorted.

“Lena, we only want the best for you. Your . . . abilities,” Lex paused, “they are meant for a greater purpose than serving these rebels. Do you not see what Kara Zor-El has achieved in her time serving the Empire?”

Lena scoffed. “Save it, Lex. We both know you don’t care at all about Kara Zor-El, nor anyone who has Force abilities. Let alone the Empire itself.”

Lex’s face grew cold. “I’m _trying_ to get you to see reason. I’m sure there’s a solution to your . . . condition that will allow you to come back with us. To help us —”

“So you can use me to test your ‘anti-Jedi’ weapons?” Lena interrupted, igniting her saber. “No, I will not be your guinea pig. I am a part of the Resistance now. You and Lillian have disrupted too many civilizations, too many cultures, and too many planets. You serve only yourself and desire only power and knowledge, when there’s so much _more_ to be found!”

Lena hadn’t planned on pleading with him in return, but he was her _brother_. He used to be her best friend in the entire galaxy, and now she was at the point that Alex Danvers so studiously avoided talking about or thinking about.

It was either him or her, and there was no escaping it.

“I see you will not be reasoned with.” Lex stuck his hand in his pocket, speaking all the way. “You were right, you know. The Medusa manipulation. The plan was to mine a rare ore to then induce with radiation to create an isotope that serves as the basis for the Medusa project. But imagine if the radiation melded not just a few elements, but elements from Kryptonian soil?”

His eyes gleamed with a hunger Lena found frightening.

“ _No!”_ She used the Force on his arm, forcing his hand from his pocket, throwing him down the hall. “You not only are using radiation, you’re using the _blood_ of your best friend —”

Lex stood up angrily. “ _Kal-El was nothing to me!”_

Lena shook her head. “We both know that is a lie.”

Lex roared, too angry to think about anything but getting his hands around her throat. She’d seen that look on people’s faces before, but on her own brother, the transformation was made clear.

Lena swung her saber, making sure to keep her blows light, not wanting to kill him directly, decapitating him or anything of the sort. But Lex’s steps were fueled by rage, and he was running towards her much faster than she could calculate.

She jumped back quickly, using the Force as her aid, not able to stop the swing of her saber.

Lex fell to the ground, clutching his face with a horrible scream. She could feel the sizzle of the blade on flesh when she’d swung, but . . .

“I see,” he said between pants of breath, clearly in immense pain, “that there is no reasoning with you any more, _sister_.”

His hand went to his suit pocket, and Lena made to attack him with the Force once more, but he pulled out a small green shard, a black cloth falling to the tile of the floor.

All of a sudden, her senses seemed to fall silent, her muscles were more weary, her own . . . _self_ seemed more unsure. And something seemed missing . . . something constant something that was a central _part_ of her. It was the Force, but it was also something beyond that . . . something maybe was rooted in the Force, but she couldn’t identify . . .

“What is _that_?” she growled, taking a step back, her saber across her body defensively. She may not have the strength of the Force to guide her, but her instincts had been honed these past few months, and she had enough faith in her blade to protect her.

“Seems it works.” Lex stood, his hand still covering his face as he sneered at her. “ _This_ is what I call _Kryptonite_. And it will suck the Force right out of you like your kind _deserve_.”

Before Lena could respond, Lex whipped out a pistol and fired at her. She blocked the shot, but a second one soon followed, catching her in her upper arm. Lena let out a yelp of pain and turned to run away from her brother, hoping that distance would make his new creation wean somehow.

“ _Don’t run away from me Lena Luthor!_ ” Lex bellowed after her.

Lena ran until she saw an open door, running in, and typing in her code, deactivating her saber and clutching her arm as she stepped away from the now closed door.

 _Great._ She was in the archives room. A usually wonderful area, but with only three exits, and the next closes one was halfway up the immense wall of digital files.

She heard a blaster shot go off, the computer on the side of the door fizzling with electricity before powering down, the door sliding open a small bit as the tension slacked. Lex began to force the doors open slowly, the only eye she could see crazed.

“You cannot run, Lena!” he shouted.

Lena glanced at the transport platforms that carried people up and down the face of the wall. They were too slow. He would shoot her before —

Lex burst in, his gun trained at her, hand shaking slightly as his other hand covered the injured half of his face. “ _You insubordinate —_ ”

“Lex, show a little self-control,” a cool voice came from behind him. Lena blanched as a tall, matriarchal woman stepped into view, knowing full well she was probably pale white.

“Hello, Lena,” Lillian said with a shark’s grin.

“Lillian.”

Lillian laughed, stepping around her son. “Such a cold shoulder. I’ll admit, I expected it, but,” her eyes glanced at Lena’s saber, “not that. Entirely.”

Lena stepped back with every slow step Lillian took forwards, her hand over her wound, her injured arm hanging useless by her side.

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?” Lena snarled, trying to puzzle her way out of the room somehow.

“I always knew you would be the _bane_ of my existence as soon as your father brought you home,” Lillian snapped back.

Hearing the words aloud caused Lena to flinch as if struck, but anger soon filled in the pain of reopened and old scars.

“He’s not my father, and you’re not my mother!” Lena retorted. “He may have had pity on my in adopting me and bringing me back, but he and you never really cared for me the way you did _Lex_ —”

“Lionel was a foolish man who never saw what I was capable of —”

“He pushed you further than you ever wanted because he saw potential in you!” Lena interrupted, angrily. “That’s more than he ever did with me! He talked to me and cared for me, but he never invested time in me like you did!”

Lillian scoffed before Lex could respond. “Oh, and I suppose that automatically disqualifies him from being your father."

Lena’s gaze zeroed in on Lillian. “What,” she growled, “is that supposed to mean?”

Lillian met her gaze with one as steely as hers. “You want to know _why_ I detest you so much? Why Lionel was a _fool_ in my gaze as soon as he brought you home? Fine. I’ll tell you: you weren’t just adopted, you were _born_ of Luthor blood.”

Lena felt her world stop, her brain and heart racing as she registered the words. “No, no, that’s not true! That _can’t_ be true —”

“You want to know _why_ you have this ability when _generations_ of _pure_ Luthor blood has remained unstained by it?!” Lillian’s voice had risen as Lena’s despair grew. “You try to escape the Luthor name and put distance between yourself and whatever _stigma_ you and the rebels have created for our name, but there’s no escaping it, Lena. Lionel _is_ your father, and _you. Are. A. Luthor._ ”

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ: Ground Support — Endor System**

“Air support levelled.”

Alex smiled at the sound of her lover’s voice coming from the comms as she waved off a fellow rebel who came up to her offering medical help. Her head was pounding and she couldn’t move too much without feeling like the pressure would cause her skull to explode, but she was fine nonetheless.

“Copy that, Sawyer,” Alex said into her comms, her voice scratchy. She rubbed her throat tenderly, wincing when she felt pain. She was going to bruise. “Quick sweep, then you’re free to land.”

There was a pause. Clearly Maggie could hear something off in her voice. “10-4.”

“Alex!”

She turned to see J’onn jogging towards her. He had a bruise on his forehead and his lip was bleeding, but otherwise he looked fine.

“What happened? Are you okay?” His voice was filled with concern. He scanned her person, zeroing in on her throat. She didn’t know how long she had been unconscious, but she wouldn’t be surprised if there was bruising on her neck already.

“Fine,” she rasped, holding her arm out. J’onn helped her up, stabilizing her when she stumbled. “We’ve taken out their main space force,” she informed him.

J’onn nodded. “We cannot send the escape ships back to base. Kara Zor-El —”

Alex nodded grimly. “I know. She . . .” Alex gestured vaguely towards her neck. J’onn understood. “And Lex Luthor is here,” she added.

J’onn hesitated. “I think the Luthors are both here.”

There was a long pause in which they both looked at each other, too afraid to voice the next possibility. It wasn’t hard to imagine that if the Empire’s leading support, the providing family of the Empire’s hold on the richer planets of the galaxy were here at the main headquarters of the Resistance, that the Empress herself would make an appearance sometime soon. _Especially_ if her ward was here as well.

“We need to leave before she arrives,” J’onn finally said.

Alex glanced over at the sound of someone barking orders. Men and women raced back into the base, securing what was left to secure.

“Barry,” Alex began.

“Is in a medical transport to our secondary location,” J’onn reassured her.

Alex looked at the ground, her vision going blurry as tears filled her eyes. “I tried, J’onn. I,” she furiously wiped her eyes, looking at her old friend, “I tried talking to her, and she still —” Alex let out a sob and J’onn wrapped his arms around her in a consoling hug. “I don’t know what to do, J’onn!” she said amongst sobs.

J’onn rubbed her back, not knowing what to say, though his silence was what Alex needed the most.

“She didn’t kill you,” J’onn said softly, his voice rumbling in his chest as Alex cried bitterly. “She didn’t kill you.”

Though Alex didn’t know if it made anything any better at all.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ: Archives Room — Endor System**

_Your place is with us, Lena._

_Your blood is ours as well._

The words of her brother and her mother rang in her head but she hardly processed them. Did her father leave on a business trip and meet her mother there? Or were the trips a lie, and he was trying to escape the Luthor responsibility like she was? Was her mother a user of the Force, and where was she? Was she even alive, if Lionel had brought Lena back to be raised by Lillian . . .

But Kal-El’s words rang in her head. She was a necessary piece in the trajectory of the galaxy and its fate. She was a balancing point between light and darkness and she was a _Jedi_ , a defender of the side she’d chosen, though she consistently fought the darkness surrounding her every day she stood.

Lena may be a Luthor by blood, but she’d found her family here. Nothing had changed, yet — a dozen ‘what ifs’ rang in her head and she stumbled back trying to sort through them.

 _Focus_.

“You think,” Lillian was saying, “that by fighting the fight that got Kal-El slaughtered you’ll somehow prove to yourself that you’re somehow better than us? Better than the people who raised you and gave you a home to live in?”

“That wasn’t a home,” Lena spat back, angry tears rising to the surface. “I may have lived there, but it was never home. You and Lex,” she faced her brother who still held a gun at her head, “you both are _driven_ by hate and scorn and all the things that make you bitter and cruel, and I want _no_ part of it! Kal-El was your _best friend_ ,” Lena said to Lex. “And you’re using _his_ blood to fuel a weapon to neutralize the Jedi’s natural connection to the Force.”

Lex’s lip curled. “I am doing my duty to the Empire.”

Lena shook her head. “You’re doing your duty to _you_.”

“ _I am the saving grace of the galaxy!”_ Lex roared, spittle flying from his mouth. “ _I will bring balance to the Empire!”_

“Rhea doesn’t desire ‘balance’!” Lena shot back. “She only desires power and she only wants to use her for her own means until you’ve served your purpose!”

“That may be true,” Lillian said, her voice cold, “but she has given us the means to accomplish a goal we’ve held onto for _years_. The age of the Force-users is over, and with the help of the Daxamite, we will reign in a new era of peace.”

Lex levelled his gun at Lena’s face. “Farewell, _sister._ ”

Lena braced herself, ready to use whatever she could to escape, when Lex shot across the room, slamming into the wall with enough force to crush the machinery lining the walls. Lena winced, but more so for the data stored there. She hoped Winn had successfully initiated his emergency protocol.

“ _You DARE use the blood and stone of Krypton?!”_ Kara Zor-El’s voice boomed as she strode in. Her mask was missing, and her eyes were furious, a sea of rage that gave Lena a full look into the daughter of Krypton that had set cities ablaze.

Lena felt Kara’s presence swirling inside of her through the Force, slowly realizing that this, this connection of theirs, _that’s_ what she had felt missing from her person when Lex had first cornered her with his Kryptonite.

Lillian stepped back in fear, her hand going to her pocket. Lena knew instantly what she was trying to do and used the force on her arm, holding it out of the way.

Lex chuckled, blood dripping from his mouth. “I dared, but your _Empress_ commanded.” He spat on the floor by Kara’s boots as she loomed over him, his scar glaring, scorched, his eye masked by the damage to his outer tissue. “You’re nothing but a means towards an end, no more than the rest of us. But your time has ended, and you too will soon be eliminated.”

Kara froze, her face unreadable as her shoulders bunch. “Rhea wouldn’t.”

Lex laughed, more blood pooling from his mouth. “But she did. And you _know_ it.” He spat again, purposefully. “ _Kryptonian_.”

Kara let out a bellow, her eyes glowing like the depths of a volcano ready to explode. Lena’s muscles bunched, ready for whatever occured.

But before Lex Luthor, her brother, was lost to the wrath of Kara Zor-El, the sith in question collapsed on the ground, crying out in excruciating pain, the veins in her neck glowing a deep green. She rolled into a fetal position, crying out once more, the sound haunting to Lena’s ears as it echoed in the chamber.

Lena caught a glimpse of Lex’s hand, seeing a flicker of a familiar stone.

“Interesting,” Lex said, observing Kara with a tilted head. It was as if he were in the lab, watching his plants. “It seems to have a _much_ stronger effect on you. I wonder,” he held the shard up, closer to Kara’s skin and she cried out, her eyes threatening death while also fighting immense pain, “if it can _kill_ you.”

He touched the stone to Kara’s neck and she screamed a thousand times more painfully than before, the veins in her neck protruding, her jaw straining, her eyes tearing up, the green under her skin pulsing brighter.

Lena had to do something. She couldn’t feel Kara’s emotions anymore, but she could still imagine the pain as her own, and Kara Zor-El was _dying_.

Lena acted before she could think. She pulled out her saber, not igniting the blade quite yet. Lena gave a solid kick to Lillian’s diaphragm before spinning, slamming the hilt of her saber into the woman’s temple.

As Lillian dropped the the ground, she ran towards Lex who fumbled to get his gun out. 

Lena ignited her saber, jumping over Kara and —

A shot rang out and Lex fell to the ground, blood running from his chest area. Lena’s saber struck the wall where his head had been.

She heard Kara whimper, no longer able to scream as the Kryptonite rolled towards her. Lena picked up the green stone, seeing the small black cloth Lex had originally held it in, and proceeded to wrap it up.

The effect was instantaneous, the green disappearing from Kara’s veins, her body relaxing.

Lena looked up at the door to see Cat Grant holstering a blaster. “We need to go. The base is empty, but the Daxamite fleet has arrived. The Empress is here and so is her army.” She eyed Lex’s bleeding form distastefully. “We don’t have time for them.”

Lena nodded once, understanding the urgency, and more than thankful for Cat’s timing. Her heart was still racing, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She had almost killed Lex. She had _wanted_ to. She _would_ have.

And for what?

No.

For _whom._

She clipped her saber to her belt, the base beginning to shake violently, the lights going out and pieces of the ceiling began to fall. The Empire had begun a blitz on their base, and the base wasn’t going to stand.

Lena bent down, shouting against the pain in her arm as she threw Kara over her shoulder, standing shakily.

“Luthor,” Cat began.

“No,” Lena interrupted. “She comes with us.”

Cat paused before nodding once in assent. She took the Kryptonite from Lena’s clenched fingers and carefully put it in her pocket. “To my ship, let’s go.”

They stumbled down the halls, concrete raining down around them.

They turned into the nearest hangar, Cat’s ship ready to go with the entry ramp already down. The base shook, giant boulders falling down on the outside of the hangar.

“GO!” Cat made to help Lena with Kara, and together than ran into the ship. Lena put Kara horizontally on the passenger chairs, securing her with the seatbelts before joining Cat in the cockpit, taking co-pilot position.

“I hope you can fly this thing, Luthor.”

Lena gave a nervous bark of laughter. “I do too, considering I helped design these.”

“Ramp up, and engine engaged,” Cat said.

“All systems ready,” Lena responded.

The ship shook violently as they lifted, before Cat sent them flying full speed straight out over the forests of Endor II. The gunfire of oncoming ships fell short, but Lena knew they were in hot pursuit.

“Cat —”

“Can it, Luthor!”

Lena held her mouth shut as they rocketed straight up into the atmosphere, her ears popping and her stomach dropping as they ascended, never slowing down.

“Hyperdrive,” Cat shouted over the shaking of their ship.

Lena struggled to lean forwards, flipping a couple of switches.

Before long the ship was in hyperspace, leaving Rhea’s fleet behind them.

Lena sat back in her chair, breathing quickly and heavily, adrenaline keeping her eyes wide and her mind racing. They had made it out alive. They had gotten their forces out and themselves out and — they had Kara Zor-El of Krypton on their _ship_.

“ _Kriff_.”

Cat pursed her lips. “You can say that again. Get on the secure line. Send a transmission to Onderon of the Japrael System.”

“Onderon?” Lena asked aloud. It was a jungle planet that hadn’t really been explored beyond a few sections that stretched no more than a few hundred kilometres across, each.

Cat nodded once in confirmation. “Notify the director of the base of our incoming. Eliza Danvers deserves to know that her daughter is coming home.”

* * *

_**End of Part I** _

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week is my Spring Break — so you guys get two chapters in one week. 
> 
> Enjoy ~


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's starting out slow. Gotta set the tone right ~

**Part II**

**Chapter 1**

**The Empress’ Destroyer — Endor System**

The moon below was but a sphere of green and blue. It was small, tangible, and very, _very_ small. And, it was about to die.

Rhea stood by the large window in the main command center, looking down at the insignificant world below. Her posture was straight, her hands held behind her back, and to anyone who glanced at her, she looked the part of a cold, calculating Empress. No one would know just by looking at her that the Kryptonian who had been reared under her care and transformed into the galaxy’s largest threat since Lex Luthor destroyed Kal-El, had been kidnapped by rebel forces.

Though Rhea possessed a very _minuscule_ amount of Force-sensitivity, it was enough for her to be able to tell when Kara had cried out for help while in the rebel base. The risk, however, had been too high, and she had done nothing to rescue her ward. Now she had been taken by the rebels, and Rhea’s plans could very well be compromised. They were most _definitely_ delayed.

Rhea made brief eye contact with her reflection in the clean glass before spinning on her heel to face her Admiral in charge of this particular fleet.

“Admiral, do we have a lock on the rebels’ location?” Her voice was stern and carried through the room despite the chatter and sound of computers surrounding them.

The man’s stern face seemed to grow stiffer as the corners of his mouth tightened. He stood at attention, his feet shoulder width apart and hands behind his back. “No, ma’am, but we do have news from Lillian Luthor that the preliminary tests had worked: the Kryptonite has been successfully synthesised and functions as intended.”

Lillian Luthor. Another life in the way of her journey towards power. The issue was, unlike others whom Rhea could easily get rid of, Lillian was also an asset into the inner-circle of the Core Planets. The Luthors, before the Empire, were known for their innovation, growing wealthy not in just financial matters, but also in social connections. It was, much to Rhea’s chagrin, much of Lillian’s doing that she had such great support from the richer families that ran the Old Republic. Or, rather, funded it.

The woman was also in critical condition in the medical ship of the fleet alongside her son who so boldly and rashly threw away every opportunity Rhea had given him to find his lost sister and sacrifice everything. In the end, they destroyed the base, but had gained nothing from it. Rhea had lost many soldiers, the Luthors had lost many mercenaries. Rhea had lost her ward, and they had lost their last member and somehow, she found the parallel too ironic to ignore.

“And the Medusa project?” She watched in amusement as the man swallowed nervously as she loomed over him.

“As far as I know, the Kryptonite project came second only to Medusa,” her admiral reported, shakily.

Rhea hummed. “I want you to show me.”

The man blinked, stunned. “Now?”

“I do not think my words were muffled or misconstrued. If it is ready, then it is ready, is that not correct, _Admiral_?” She stared him in the eye forcefully until he looked away.

“It’s just . . . I don’t think the full weapon has been tested yet and —”

Rhea strode closer to the man, watching him tense as she walked past him, staring at the world below them. “I did not realize that we were at the mercy of what has been tested to its fullest. Tell me, do you think that deep space was tested at its fullest when the Rao system discovered hyperdrive?”

She waited for her admiral to respond.

“Um . . . no, ma’am.”

Rhea turned on her heel to face him. “And do you think that the saber of the sith was tested to its fullest before it was used to cut down the people who stood in its way?”

He swallowed. “I — no. Ma’am.”

She stepped forwards and enjoyed watching him struggle to remain planted where he stood. “And do you, Admiral, then think that it would be wise to test my patience to its fullest before following my orders? Because I guarantee you, unlike hyperdrive or a lightsaber, your results will not be as favorable or beneficial to your personal . . . advancement.”

The man hesitated before turning and giving orders to ready the cannon on their destroyer that held the barely made Medusa sample. Rhea looked back at Endor II, wondering if the lives down there, both of Empire and otherwise, knew that their time had been decided for them.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

_“Kara, we never hit anyone, no matter what they’ve said or done to us.”_

_Kara looked up at a tall blonde woman in doctor’s robes. She had a stern, but loving gaze, and her face was serious, scolding. She suddenly felt deep remorse for her actions._

_“They just . . . they called me a —” she uttered an alien word, almost native to her own tongue, but definitely not Kryptonian, “and then they started to make fun of Alex and —_ ”

_“And I understand.” The woman crouched down, eye-level with Kara, who could feel tears welling in her eyes. “But while your anger on behalf of your sister is justified, violence is never the answer you should default to, do you understand? It tells the bullies that you are just like them, and it tells the people watching that you will do the same things as the people you are mad at in order to achieve something else.”_

_Kara let out a muffled sob as she nodded. She wiped her eyes. “I just didn’t like when they hit Alex.”_

_The woman chuckled darkly. “Believe me, neither did she. But she looked for you first thing after your teacher broke up the fight, did you know that? She was hurt and she wanted to make sure you were ok.”_

_Kara looked up at the woman with wide, watery eyes. “She did?”_

_The woman nodded. “She did. And you know what that showed the people who watched her? It showed them great strength and I think she gained great respect from it, too.” The woman brushed some hair behind Kara’s ear and wiped her cheek. “Love, Kara. Love is your greatest weapon and greatest ally, and it shows far more character than violence and rage.”_

_“But what about when it becomes hard and people are just so mean?” Kara sniffled._

_The woman grabbed her in a warm hug which she immediately reciprocated. “Oh, Kara. Your heart is bigger than any bully. You focus on the people you love, and I promise you, it will not be too hard for someone with a heart like yours.”_

“Kara. Kara. _Kara_!”

Kara’s eyes flew open and she made to sit up quickly. The sharpness of the action resulted in a holding pain in her forearms and she looked down to see that she had been strapped into her bed.

“What . . .?” She looked around, recognizing medical equipment hanging on the walls and she realized she was in some sort of hospital wing or ward. She jerked against her straps once more, before looking at the people who were also in the room. “What happened?” she asked.

Lena Luthor and Alex Danvers exchanged glances.  

Memories from the moments before the searing pain coursed through her veins began flashing through her mind. Kara’s mouth pulled back in a sneer. “Where is Lex Luthor?”

“Kara,” Alex began in a placating tone.

Something akin to angry panic began to settle in Kara as her setting began to compute in her mind. “ _Where is Lex Luthor and where have you taken me??”_

Things in the room began to move and react to her anger and fear, the Force permeating the room. The only thing she could think amidst the possible punishments Cat Grant has in store for her or the inevitable interactions she would have with her long lost sister was that Lex Luthor had to _die_.

He had disrespected Krypton, the House of El, _and_ the Force in one fell swoop, or, rather, one fell project. And right now, the only thing she knew, the only thing _familiar_ was her anger. Even Rhea had . . .

She felt a wave of concern piercing through the chaos, and her senses zoned in to the woman next to her sister. In a strange twist of events, _she_ had become something familiar, and Kara wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

Slowly the words Alex and the incoming medical support had been saying loudly over the rattling and crunching of nearby materials went from muffled to clear in her ears. Hands grabbed her from all angles, pushing her back into the mattress as the nurses attempted to ease her down. Kara fought briefly, resisting as she tried to maintain eye contact with Lena, hoping, maybe, that she’d see something, gain some sort of understanding of what was going on before she felt a needle sink into the joint of her elbow.

As the sedative took over her system, Kara watched the details of the ceiling blur and fade, confused, lost, and more than anything, scared.

Not about her surroundings, no. She had been trained to endure worse. For the first time in her life she was faced with the possibility of not knowing the outcome of the position she had been placed in, and with people who she had thought dead, and who held knowledge about her that no one else did. They were weaknesses, that’s what Rhea had taught her, had instructed her to believe.

But now? Now they were people and for whatever reason, they had taken her to help her and that scared her more than she’d like to admit. Because for the first time in a long time, she was allowed to choose and listen for herself.

* * *

 

The feeling of another needle easing its way into her arm made Kara stir from a dreamless sleep. As she remembered her situation, she inhaled sharply, jerking against her restraints.

“Careful,” a soft voice said from her bedside. Cool hands held her arm in place as the needle moved a little in Kara’s arm.

The sith stiffened at the familiar voice. One that she had been convinced, up until recently, that she would never hear again. A voice that brought back memories of homemade desserts and grassy fields. A voice that came from a lifetime ago.

Kara slowly followed the hands holding her arm and the needle still as blood was taken, up until she looked at a familiar face. Though aged more and with deep lines marking nights of unrest, Eliza Danvers looked undeniably the same. Her kind eyes looked down at Kara with emotion swirling in them.

Kara looked away almost immediately, not finding it in her to meet Eliza’s gaze.

“Kara,” Eliza began softly. She sighed, pulling the needle from Kara’s arm, sealing the cap on the vial of blood she’d taken from the sith. “Kara, look at me. Please.”

Kara didn’t move, her eyes focusing on the tile of the ground, jaw clenched.

“Ok, that’s fine. You don’t have to look at me, but I would appreciate it if you listened.” Eliza stood and walked to the cabinet where she rustled a bit, presumably putting Kara’s vial up so it could be tested.

“After the raiders took Midvale and our planet became a place that most refugees had run from, Alex and I thought of you every day. Your sister,” Eliza let out a bitter laugh that caused Kara to grind her teeth together, “your sister blamed herself for your disappearance and eventual capture. She would have torn galaxies apart to find you, and in her own way, she did.”

Kara felt emotion building in her chest as she slowly closed her eyes, holding the storm at bay. What had she done to deserve this kind of punishment? The thing she couldn’t control and hadn’t been able to give her say . . . it was all coming back at her in full force.

And she had no idea what she should say or do.

“Kara,” Eliza’s kind voice wavered with emotion as she hesitantly brushed her fingers along the Kryptonian’s forearm, “I know you’re lost and scared, and . . . I’ve heard stories of your time with the Empire—” Kara flinched as if struck, “— but. . . ”

Eliza sighed. Her hand withdrew.

“I just hope you find it in you to see that we still love you, that’s all.”

There was a pause before Kara heard a monitor beep, indicating that the medicine was being placed into her system again to pull her under once more. Eliza said nothing else as she shuffled out of the room, closing the door tenderly behind her.

Kara still hadn’t opened her eyes, her molars grinding against one another as she tried to fight against the growing storm . . .

Then a familiar presence accompanied her in the room and she wasn’t surprised in the slightest when she heard Lena’s voice from her bedside where Elise had stood before.

“It’s okay to cry. Sometimes that’s all you can do.”

And then Kara Zor-El, with her face still turned away, in the presence of her unconventional ally, let out a bitter sob before crying herself to unconsciousness.

* * *

 

Glass. It was the first thing Kara noticed when she came to. They had encased her in a _glass_ containment unit. There was a single cot, a toilet hidden behind a very thin screen, and a sink, all of it bolted to the floor. The cot was what she was laying on, and as Kara sat up and swung her legs over the side, she tried to remember how she had gotten there.

The room outside of her containment unit was empty, but she could see numerous cameras looking into her space. It was possible she was on a rebel ship, but it was more likely that she was at a secondary headquarters the Rebellion had in place as a safeguard.

Kara ran a hand through her hair, her brow furrowed. She remembered overhearing the Luthors as they confronted Lena. The way they spoke of the Force and their methods for achieving their goal of getting rid of those with Force-abilities.

Then the medical room. Eliza Danvers. Alex Danvers. _Lena_.

She scoffed aloud in embarrassment of her last memory in the medical room, still not fully understanding why it had affected her so much. As of late, since . . . well, since Lena had ran away from her home, all Kara had felt was anger, frustration and a deep, unexplainable void that left her feeling more exposed than she’d ever felt before.

She stood up and slowly began to walk around her small unit, tracing the perimeter like a large cat in an enclosement.

The Rebels had taken her blood. For now, she would make that a priority. Even though most of her was convinced that the Resistance held no ill will towards her yet, she knew she had hurt many, many people and had been the cause for countless losses. They had a Luthor on their side, and she was just as brilliant, if not more so, than her infamous brother. If Lex had found a way to use Kryptonian DNA as a weapon that felt like it was melting her from the inside out then the things the Resistance could do . . .

Kara sighed. Lex Luthor would die, and she vowed to ensure that he paid for his actions herself, but being angry as of late had done nothing but get her captured by the Resistance, made her confused, and most importantly, left her utterly exhausted.

Rhea had proven herself to be someone that could not be trusted anymore. The things she had said and taught her were based on lies and manipulation. While Kara could barely remember her life on Midvale amongst the intensity of her time with the Empress, she knew that the differences between the two lives she had lived was stark.

Maybe that was why she had been so angry. Why she was so exhausted. She was still frustrated, and she wasn’t quite sure why, she just knew that if she let it sit much longer, it would explode from her once more and . . . she didn’t know what she’d do.

Kara closed her eyes, and cast her mind out, feeling for familiar presences, trying to see how many people were around her. As soon as her mind brushed the edges of the Force, as if she were encountering sharp tongues of flame, her head was filled with an intensely sharp pain.

Kara cried out, clutching her temples.

It was different than the pain of Kryptonite. While that felt like shards of molten glass coursing through her veins, this was like being hit in the head with a boulder.

Kara grit her teeth and tried again, only to collapse on the ground with the same results. She braced herself on her hands and knees, her hair a curtain around her face as she panted, waiting for the throbbing in her skull to fade away.

“ _No_.”

Kara stretched out her hand, focusing on the thin, paper screen that would barely give her any privacy should she stand behind it. What was normally an instinctive action rebounded on her in another painful pounding within her skull, this time accompanied by a sharp tingling along the length of her arm.

“ _Gah!_ ” She clutched her arm tight to her torso, still on her knees on the floor. “ _Kriff._ ”

“It seems the Kryptonite has had an adverse effect on more than just your physical health,” a woman’s voice came from outside her unit, sounding tinny in the small speakers hidden somewhere close.

Kara sat up, glaring at Catherine Grant as she stood in full uniform, shoulders square and arms crossed, looking none-too pleased to be there. Kara felt her anger spark at the look the General was casting towards her, making no means to hide the blatant disgust written on her face.

“What did you take my blood for?” Kara asked, lowly.

“I don’t think you have room to ask such questions, Ms. Danvers,” J’onn J’onzz answered from where he stood beside Cat.

Kara’s eyes flickered over to him, before moving to the blonde woman beside him, adorned in light grey robes with an officer’s crest on her broach. Eliza Danvers said nothing, her chin tilting to acknowledge Kara, and her eyes reflecting nothing but concern.

Kara wanted to scoff. She didn’t need it. “That’s not my name,” is all she said.

“Why was Lex Luthor on Endor II?” Cat demanded. “As far as our intelligence has reported, the Luthors and Rhea’s sith,” Kara ignored how the woman practically spat the word, “were often sent to different sectors, and never worked together on missions.”

Kara said nothing.

“Okay then. How did Lex Luthor formulate his Kryptonite, and what is he planning to do with it?”

Again, nothing.

“How many officers does Rhea have in her immediate command?”

Kara looked away, keeping her mouth shut.

“Even now, you’re trying to help her?!”

Everyone looked towards the doorway to see none other than Alex Danvers in full orange pilot’s uniform standing with her helmet in hand. She ignored everyone else, locking eyes with Kara, her face incredulous.

“Alex —” Eliza began.

“ _No!_ ” Alex strode forwards, forcing the other three to make space for her as she stepped up to Kara’s glass. “ _Why_ ?” she practically pleaded. “Rhea has done nothing but _lie_ to you and . . . and _use_ you! Do you even remember what life was like _before_ her? Before all of _this_ ,” Alex flung both arms wildly, “was even a possibility? Before _Kal-El?_ ”

Kara jumped to her feet and marched up to the glass so that she and Alex were practically nose to nose. “The Empire is striving for _balance_ —”

“And Kal-El happened to get in the way of that?!” Alex scoffed as Eliza made to pull her back. She shrugged her off, her finger pointing angrily at Kara from beyond the glass. The sith was _sure_ that if she could, she’d be poking her in the chest if she could. “You’re just as guilty of doing the things you claim the Old Republic was doing before Rhea even rose to power!”

“And you’re guilty of thinking that the Jedi were _ever_ sufficient protection and leadership!” Kara immediately retorted. “I may not trust Rhea anymore, but the Empire is striving for something good —”

“ _Good_?! Do you _hear_ yourself right now?!” Alex’s eyes were almost crazed.

J’onn put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “I think that’s enough, Captain.”

He exchanged some glances with Eliza before the woman turned and wrapped an arm around Alex, leading her from the room. The door hissed shut behind them as they exited, and the room was then silent, leaving Kara staring at the two highest ranking leaders of the Resistance.

“Lex Luthor used the blood of Kal-El. I don’t know if he’s going to use the Kryptonite in Medusa.” Kara turned around and sat down on her cot, her back to the two officers.

“What would it do?” J’onn asked.

Kara let out a scoff. “Ask his sister.”

And then she refused to talk any more.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

“I assume she didn’t know of Lex’s plans. It seems counterintuitive to tell your Force-using ward that you’re associating with the man who killed her cousin to end every Force-connection in the galaxy.” Lena was sitting at a bench, working hard on a broken droid while Winn did the same across from the table. She avoided looking anywhere else.

J’onn J’onzz stood over them, his arms crossed as he watched them work. “She did seem rather hostile towards her old master. It could be good news for us.”

Lena laughed dryly. “Except you forget that even with Rhea out of the picture, that still does nothing to sway her worldview. As far as she’s concerned, the Resistance is the side of the Jedi and the Jedi let her world burn.”

J’onn didn’t say anything in response to that, and Lena was tempted to glance at him to see if she could tell what he was thinking.

“She’s angry,” he said next.

“Isn’t that, like, a _necessary_ trait to have if you’re a sith?” Winn asked from his station. “If you’re perpetually angry, then you’re basically a dark Jedi.”

J’onn hesitated. “Not exactly, Mr. Schott.”

Lena threw her tools down on the table, letting out a groan of frustration. The sharp clang of metal on the table-top made Winn jump in surprise, clearly startled and not expecting such a sudden noise.

“She’s not angry because she’s angry, she’s angry because she’s lost,” Lena said bitingly. “We’ve done everything we can to show her that we aren’t like she thinks we are, and yet —”

A nearby piece of scrap-metal crunched in on itself as the Force reacted to Lena’s frustration. Winn gave a yelp of surprise and Lena hurriedly apologized. She put her elbows on the table and rubbed her temples.

“Maybe you should talk to her,” J’onn supplied. “She seems to only be receptive to you.”

Lena looked up sharply at her master. “What do you mean?” she asked cautiously.

J’onn met her gaze, a little confused. “I just mean since she’s talked with you more and been exposed to your presence more, you both know of each other better than anyone else. In the past, she’s talked to you, from what you’ve told me.”

Lena let out an inward sigh of relief. J’onn was referring to the only two conversations he knew about. He still was unaware of their weird Force-connection, and for that, Lena was grateful.

“Maybe.”

J’onn started as a device on his belt beeped. He pulled it out with a frown. “I apologize. I have to step out to talk for a moment . . .”

As he left, Winn made eye-contact with Lena. “You haven’t told him about Kal-El.”

Lena shook her head. “There hasn’t been a good time. And like we established before, I don’t think Kal-El wants to broadcast his current status quite yet if ever.”

Winn shrugged, going back to his work. “I just don’t want you and J’onn to get into a tustle once he learns you’ve been hiding that from him. That kind of information can change this war.”

Lena ignored the pit in her stomach. _That’s not all I’ve been keeping from him_.

Her mind went back to the last time she had intentionally sought out Kara’s presence, the way the woman had completely fallen apart in her hospital bed before succumbing to the sedatives being steadily inserted into her bloodstream.

It was more than Kara being difficult and more than Kara believing in the mission and vision of the Empire: she had nowhere else to turn, and, finding herself in the middle of the tides, she was choosing to look towards what was most familiar to her. And right now, even with Rhea being exposed as she was by Lex, Lena understood why Kara was still clutching at whatever hold she could at something familiar.

Suddenly Lena found herself standing in Kara Zor-El’s cell, the sith lying on her back, her hands folded on her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling.

“I was wondering when you’d show up again,” Kara commented.

Lena sighed. “I’m sorry about last time —”

“Why do you keep helping me?” Kara interrupted Lena, still not moving from where she lay. “Why do you insist on helping me? I’ve done everything to hurt the Resistance, and you have nothing to gain, yet you keep . . .” Her voice drifted off.

Lena stood in silence for a moment, studying Kara’s profile, feeling honest confusion swirling inside the other woman as if it were her own.

 _She’s at a crossroads_ , Kal-El had said.

“I guess . . . it’s because I know what it’s like to have everyone in your life tell you that what you’re doing is all you _can_ do. And that . . . when you want to walk your own path, sometimes it’s just easier to know that someone else sees you when you have trouble seeing yourself.”

Kara turned to look at her, blue eyes meeting green. The sith’s brow furrowed as she studied Lena’s face. “You’re being honest,” she said, almost to herself, her voice marked by awe.

Lena gave a soft, lopsided smile. “I guess I am.”

Then she was back in Winn’s new workshop, the sound of machinery and droids and Winn’s tinkering filling her senses.

Winn looked up, almost as if he sensed her eyes on him. “What?”

“Nothing.” Lena shook her head to clear it, trying to ignore the image of the bound sith’s body wracking with sobs or the wide-eyed look she had given Lena just now when —

Lena’s hands gripped the edge of the table so tightly, her knuckles went white. She felt like someone had stolen the air directly from her lungs, and she struggled to breath, to get air into her system.

She could tell J’onn felt it too. There was a huge void in her chest, and, like a kick to the diaphragm, it left her without breath. 

“Lena!” Winn called, concerned as he raced to her side.

Lena gasped for air, her eyes watering as she felt _emptiness_ . J’onn rushed into the room. “Come with me. _Now_.”

Lena and Winn didn’t hesitate and they both raced after J’onn as he strode quickly down the corridor.

* * *

 

“The estimation from our systems say that the planet died anywhere from one to five minutes ago,” a rebel analyst said from his computer, data racing across the screen.

Cat’s jaw tightened. “If our resident Jedi have anything to say about it, I think your estimates are accurate.”

J’onn shook his head. “I recognized the feeling of nothingness from a long time ago.” Lena hated the way the shadows on his face seemed to lengthen as his mind went to a time long ago in his past. “Like a million souls were suddenly scraped from existence, crying out for help before disappearing forever.”

Lena silently agreed with his description. “It felt . . . cold. Afterwards,” she added.

J’onn nodded once. “I assume this is Rhea’s Medusa weapon.”

Cat gave an affirmative. “I hate to say it, but the thing works, and Endor II is now a rocky wasteland.”

Lena watched as the analyst brought up a holographic image of the planet that had once held the rebel headquarters, and she felt bile rise in her throat looking at the husk of a world. It looked like a solid, spherical rock. From a distance, she could almost trick herself into thinking it was another desert planet like Tatooine or Kessel. But she knew better. She’d _felt_ it die.

“If Rhea applies the Kryptonite to this weapon,” Lena began in the solemn silence.

“May the gods help us all,” Cat breathed.

Lena heard Maggie swear from behind her and she whirled around to see the woman looking towards the door which was sliding shut.

Maggie turned and met Lena’s gaze. “ _Kriff_ , Luthor, I think we need a plan, and we need it fast.”

Lena could feel eyes on her. “What?”

J’onn interjected. “Ms. Sawyer has a point. You _do_ know the Luthors the best, and you know just as much about their schematic plans than we do.”

Lena laughed bitterly. “That’s because I _am_ a Luthor.” She stood straighter and set her shoulders and her jaw. “And we get things done.”

She made eye contact with Cat and could see determined pride in the older woman’s eyes. The General’s single nod of assent set her brain rolling and thus, Lena Luthor began to think.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

**Solitary Unit 467**

Kara sat up, awake, as the sound of the doors sliding shut reached her ears. She was surprised to see Alex Danvers striding towards a nearby terminal, punching commands into it determinedly. Kara took in the woman’s guns strapped to her hips, the pilot’s overcoat and could only watch as a wall of class slid up into the ceiling, effectively allowing her to walk free.

“What —”

Alex’s gaze was cold and hard. She threw a cloak towards Kara who caught it in surprise. “Put that on and come with me.”

“I could kill you where you stand,” Kara threatened, her fist tightening in the cloak. She tried to ignore the way it shook.

Alex rolled her eyes. “Since you were taken in by us, you haven’t been able to use the Force. I saw the security feed. It hurts you now.”

Kara’s lip curled at the reminder. “I’m glad you’ve been paying attention.”

 _Why am I able to talk to Lena without pain, though?_ Kara thought to herself.

“Put the cloak on, and let’s go. Before we both get caught.” Alex’s voice, though stern, held enough genuine urgency that Kara did as she said.

They crept through the halls, stopping every now and then for a guard to pass by.

“What time is it?” Kara asked quietly as they made their way into a hangar.

“Oh-one-hundred,” was Alex’s short response. Her gaze flitted over the X-wings and other fighters before landing on familiar ship marked from the Old Republic. She gestured for Kara to follow, and as they were about to reach the entrance ramp to Maggie Sawyer’s ship, the base exploded in red, flashing light, warning alarms blaring.

“Oh, come on!” Alex said aloud. “I figured we had more time. Get on the ship! _Now_!”

Kara obeyed, not wanting to get shot when the guards got here. Having the Empress’ second-in-command loose in a rebel base, the new HQ by what she could gather — well, it wasn’t good for the Resistance.

Alex followed on her heels, the ramp hissing and sqeaking as it rose.

Kara heard a woman shout Alex’s name, but the voice was soon cut off as the door sealed shut.

“Sit down.” Alex’s tone was short and commanding. Kara was too confused to do anything else.

Alex flipped some switches, and the ship powered on and lifted off. Before long, they were shooting past the slowly closing emergency doors and into space. Alex leaned over Kara who sat in the co-pilot’s chair and flipped a few more switches.

“ _Alex Danvers you turn my ship around right now!”_ a woman’s voice raged from the ship’s comms.

“Can’t do that, Maggie,” Alex responded, preparing the ship for hyperdrive. “I’ll bring Kara back, and your ship, but right now I need to do something that needs to be done.”

“ _Wha —_ ”

Alex turned the comms off, cutting Maggie off as she finally got the ship into hyperdrive.

There was a long silence, Kara too afraid to say anything into it, and Alex staring straight ahead. Kara figured she probably didn’t know what to say, and she understood. Their relationship was . . . complicated.

If she hadn’t just woken up and wasn’t already emotionally spent, Kara may have found it in her to be angry at herself for allowing the Captain to catch her off-guard.

“Did you feel it?” Alex said after many minutes of silence.

There was a brief pause.

“Feel what?”

Alex let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t lie to me. Now now. I can’t . . .” She let out a frustrated sigh. “Did you feel the planet die, just like Master J’onn and Lena did?”

Kara blinked. “Planet?”

Alex shook her head, checking their radar before flipping switches and pulling them from hyperdrive. The ship jerked as it slowed dramatically, and Kara found herself staring down through the windshield of the old Republic ship at a deserted rock.

“I don’t —”

“ _That_ ,” Alex gestured angrily towards the planet, “was Endor II.”

Kara suddenly felt very sick. Rhea had used the Medusa on the rebel’s old planet. She had . . . she had done exactly what she had promised to do. And it wasn’t necessarily the loss of life that made Kara feel so ill. No, she had killed too many people for too long to feel much remorse over something like that. It was the lack of reception from the Force.

When Krypton had exploded, Kara had passed out from the intensity of the pain. Her entire world, in an instant, had vanished, and it had _hurt_ . And after the searing pain and the _billions_ of voices crying out in fear, she had felt _nothing_. That . . . that was Kara’s greatest unspoken fear: nothingness.

And to see evidence of nothing to know that she had felt as such from the Force itself, the one thing that had been a constant and an easy extension of herself for as long as she could remember . . .

Kara fought to keep the bile from rising out of her mouth. She looked down, not able to look at the planet anymore.

“I understand.” She felt something wet roll down her cheek. “Take me back. Just . . . take me back.”

  



	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly coming along, but steadily ~
> 
> More SuperCorp in the next few chapters, I promise.
> 
> (PS: imagine the looks of Cavill’s Superman rather than Hoechin’s. I think Cavill looks more the comic book Superman despite Hoechin’s more familiar portrayal)

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

_“— suspended from further duties until told otherwise. Do I make myself CLEAR?!”_

Lena flinched at the sound of Cat’s infuriated roar coming from the other side of her office door. Though there was a thick sheet of metal between her and the furious general, she still felt as if the woman herself could knock her down with her words.

Suddenly, Lena was beginning to rethink coming, despite her summons.

_“. . . yes, General.”_

_“Dismissed, Captain Danvers.”_

The door hissed open and a stone-faced Alex Danvers walked out, nodding briefly to Lena before heading towards what Lena could only assume was her quarters. Unless she was going to find Maggie, in which case, she’d be headed towards the main hangar.

Lena swallowed nervously before stepping into the room, noting that there were no corners, the room shaped like a circle. In the center was a seating area, and in the middle of the square of couches was a table where a very familiar pair of blasters lay.

It seemed that the General had also confiscated Alex’s weapons.

Lena carefully looked up at Cat, scared she might do something wrong and invoke the general’s infamous rage on herself. The woman’s face was unreadable and if she hadn’t heard Cat reprimanding her subordinate officer, she would never have guessed that she had just unleashed her rage such as she had.

Standing beside Cat was Eliza Danvers, her mouth pursed, her eyes tired.

“General Grant, you summoned me?” Lena began hesitantly.

“Yes.” The older woman sighed almost dramatically. “Our highest value prisoner has yet to give us any helpful information concerning the Empire and the Luthors.” Lena must have made a face because Cat waved a hand dismissively. “We can stop pretending they are a single unit. I mean, honestly, your family is as shifty as a rabid Kaadu. They’ve had plans to overthrow the Empire before the Empire overthrew the Republic.”

Lena had to refrain from rolling her eyes. She knew _exactly_ the kind of schemes her family seemed to enjoy plotting.

“What the General means is that we’ve noticed that Kara refuses to speak about anything that could aid us in gaining ground in respect to this ongoing war,” Eliza began, her eyes level with Lena’s, making the Jedi-in-training feel as if she were scanning her very character. “Master J’onn has spoken of a Force-bond between you two. We were thinking that maybe she would be more responsive to what you had to say.”

Lena blinked. “With all due respect, you’re asking me to sacrifice whatever little trust I’ve built up with Kara in the past . . . few months.”

Cat and Eliza exchanged glances before the former nodded once to the latter, taking a step back to allow the director to continue. “If I’m honest, at this point, anything would be better than nothing. I . . .” Eliza sighed and she looked down at the table, her hands glancing over the surface, “I can tell that Kara is lost, and more than that, she’s _scared_. She is confused, and amidst all of that she has literal ghosts from her past fighting on the opposite side of a cause she was conditioned to believe in.”

Eliza looked back up at Lena, the circles under her eyes seeming more prominent than ever, her kind, gray eyes heavy with something that Lena had seen in the mirror numerous times. “We don’t have much time, but if we have to build trust before we build on our war, then so be it for the time being.”

Lena glanced over at the silent general, trying to read the woman. Cat’s face gave away nothing, but the steeliness in her eyes told Lena that if Kara still refused to speak, then they would have to take alternative, more questionable methods to force her to do so.

The Jedi-in-training locked eyes with Eliza once more, hoping she conveyed her intent to the woman. “Ok, I’ll try.”

She tried to ignore the sinking in her stomach as she saw the gratefulness in Eliza’s eyes. The entire Resistance depended on what Kara did and did not relay to them. For the meantime, they were sitting ducks in a war where their chances of victory were gradually shrinking with every second that ticked by.

* * *

 

“Lena . . . are you _pacing_?”

Lena stopped in her tracks and turned at the sound of Winn’s voice, taking in the giant battery in his hand. “Is that a —”

“Nope,” he interrupted, putting the fairly large block in his back pocket. “You do not get to deflect like that. Don’t look at me like that. I know _exactly_ where this door goes, thank you very much.”

Lena sighed and ran a hand down her face with a light groan. “I can’t do this, Winn. General Grant and Director Danvers want me to speak with Kara about the plans of the Empire.”

Winn frowned. “And this is an issue because . . .?”

“It’s . . . complicated. And every time we’ve spoken before, all we’ve ended up doing is argue. Besides that, if I start bringing up the war, then she’s going to lose any lasting trust she may have with me. You can see how it may look if I suddenly started treating her like an asset only just after capturing her.” Lena began pacing again, ignoring the way the Force pulled her towards the door.

She had found recently, that being in physical proximity of Kara made their Force-bond even more palpable to the point where she had avoided this particular wing of the base as long as she possibly could. Which . . . hadn’t been long.

“Are you sure it’s not . . . anything else?” Winn asked, concerned.

Lena shook her head, still pacing like a caged animal. “How do I get her to see that we’re trying to help her? I’m fighting against . . . over a decade of Rhea’s conditioning! I just . . .”

Winn put a hand on Lena’s shoulder stopping her erratic movements. “You do know that it’s not your responsibility to fix the Danvers’ family issues, right? I know that you respect Alex a lot, and I know that you feel a large burden for what has happened to Kara’s cousin,” he ignored Lena’s flinch at the reminder of Lex’s legacy, “but it’s not your responsibility.”

Winn chuckled a little bitterly. “I know what it’s like to feel like you have to carry the weight of more than you can bear because you need to both prove and punish yourself for things that, ultimately, are outside of your control.”

Lena opened her mouth in question before she closed it again. It wasn’t the time. “There’s just so much . . . I don’t even know, Winn.”

He smiled ruefully. “I know. But right now, while the war is a very, _very_ critical objective, I think both you and Kara need the reminder that you are not alone, even though it feels like you are.”

Lena returned Winn’s small smile. “When did you get to be so wise?”

Winn shrugged. “The droids need advice sometimes, too. I’ve gotten practice.”

Lena rolled her eyes, shoving him away from her good-naturedly. “Go counsel your droids, Oh Wise One.”

Winn laughed and walked away, lifting a hand to wave without turning around. She waited until he turned the corner before glaring at the security camera watching the door. The fact that General Grant had resorted to asking Lena for help showed a great desperation to get _anything_ out of their newest prisoner. And especially after the _huge_ stunt Alex had pulled the night previous . . . it seemed it was anyone’s guess as to what Kara’s cooperatability would look like.

Lena took a deep breath before scanning her hand on the security panel. There was a soft beep and a click before the doors hissed open. She walked in, ignoring the sound of the door closing and locking behind her as she approached the glass unit, staring at the back of a familiar blonde head.

Kara sat on her cot, facing away from the main entrance, most definitely on purpose. She seemed to be breathing evenly, telling Lena that the Sith was meditating.

Lena stepped up to the glass, taking a deep breath, not quite sure what to say. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Kara’s body tense. The Kryptonian turned around, standing.

“I was wondering when you’d come by to visit.” The blonde woman’s tone was almost sarcastic, but Lena could detect what seemed to be genuine relief.

“I can barely sense you,” Lena blurted out before she could think of something to say. “I . . .” she sighed, “I just mean it’s harder to sense you through the Force, and since you’ve been here, it’s like our . . . bond wasn’t even real.”

Kara scoffed. “Don’t pretend like you’ve missed my company. It’s a pathetic angle to play —”

“There’s no angle!” Lena snapped. She groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “I just mean . . . maybe I came here for something other than Resistance intel.”

Kara raised both eyebrows disbelievingly. “Did you?”

Lena furrowed her brow in question.

“Did you come here for some other reason than gaining Resistance intel?” Kara repeated herself, the question sounding less like an actual question and more of a prompting.

Lena swallowed, looking away, not finding it in herself to lie directly to Kara’s face.

“I thought so,” Kara sneered. She kicked her cot, and it jostled a little bit, but remained somewhat in place due to being chained to the floor. “I don’t know much beyond what I’ve told the others,” she said shortly, sitting back on her cot, this time facing Lena, her face cold. “The Empire is spread out everywhere, and the Empress is always on the move. You already know where the Luthors are based, and what _Lex_ ,” she spat his name, “is planning on doing.”

“And so do you,” Lena countered. “You know _exactly_ what Lex, Lillian, and Rhea are planning, and you know, I know you do, that they were not planning on sparing you in their _purge_ of those with Force-abilities.”

Kara glared down at her feet. “I don’t know what I know anymore.”

Lena reached out with the Force, sensing Kara’s genuine turmoil. Her underlying anger that seemed to be ever-present. But something was off about it now. Something was different.

“Why are you always angry?” Lena asked, softly, not knowing how the sith would react to such an invasive question.

Kara looked up at Lena sharply. “What do you mean?” Her voice was testy, and Lena swallowed, treading very carefully.

“I just mean that it’s something I can always sense in you. It’s . . . festering,” Lena finished quietly. “I just —”

Kara’s jaw clenched as she looked away. “I don’t know.”

“How do you not —”

Kara jumped to her feet, striding up to the glass so that she and Lena were face to face, her breath creating a cloud of condensation on the cool, clear surface. “I told you, _I. Don’t. Know._ ”

“Is it the Resistance?” Lena pressed.

“No! I — yes —”

“Rhea?” Lena interrupted Kara, this time more confident, but still questioning. If her theory was correct . . .

“No!” Kara’s voice cracked a little. She shook her head as if to clear it. “Yes . . . I — I don’t know!”

“Alex?” Lena asked. “Eliza?”

Kara let out a furious roar, and slammed her fists against the glass. Lena jumped back as small fractures appeared in the bullet-proof glass, her heart racing in fear. Kara didn’t seem to notice, her eyes shut tight, jaw clenched.

“I’m just . . . _angry_ .” Kara’s voice was small. Lena had to step forwards again to hear her. “And mostly . . . mostly at myself. I just . . . I _don’t know_ anything anymore. I . . .”

Lena watched, dumbfounded as the galaxy’s most dangerous Force-user sank to the floor, head in hands. She looked around Kara’s containment unit and took a mental note of how even the small box of tissues in the corner were still in place.

“You’re having trouble using the Force,” Lena observed. Kara’s shoulders bunched at the reminder. “I don’t think it’s something wrong with you,” Lena said reassuringly, crouching down before sitting herself on the cool, stone floor. She tilted her head, trying to see Kara’s face, but it was obscured by her hair and hands. “In fact, I think it may be a sign of something . . . good,” she finished simply.

Kara slowly looked up at Lena, her blue eyes vulnerable. “What do you mean?”

“The Kryptonite had a _very_ strong aversive affect on you, which is probably due to your Kryptonian biology. But it didn’t take your ability to use the Force from you. It’s not . . . it’s not a permanent trait of the shard Lex had.” Lena rubbed her temples, trying to slow down her thoughts enough to word what she had in mind correctly. “It wasn’t _inside_ your body. The Medusa weapon creates a mist which quickly replicates in the atmosphere of a living planet — to be exposed to the presence of the Medusa isotope alone would make you sick, but wouldn’t kill you until it got into your system.”

“What are you saying?” Kara asked slowly.

“I’m saying that you’ve been fueling your Force abilities with nothing but anger and hurt for so long that now . . . with your entire foundation being ripped from underneath you,” Lena waved her hand around noncommitedley, “something’s different,” she decided on saying. “I think . . . I think you need to either find a different source of power or go back to using whatever you did before.”

Kara shook her head, scoffing lightly. “I can’t stay angry at people I thought were dead when they’re not, and even now, I . . . I don’t deserve what they’ve . . .” She swallowed and looked back down, shrugging her shoulders as she played with her hands. “I couldn’t even fully rely on my anger to help me on certain missions.”

Lena furrowed her brow. “What do you mean —”

 _“I need Lena Luthor and J’onn J’onzz in Surveillance. Now.”_ Cat Grant’s stern voice spoke in Lena’s earpiece, tinged with what the Jedi-in-training could recognize as genuine urgency.  

Lena sat still, hesitating before standing up. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I —”

Kara let out a sharp breath, looking down at her hands again. Lena could sense the questions building inside the sith, the ever-present storm seeming to grow thicker and more complex the longer she focused.

 _“We have a top priority situation, and your presence isn’t a request, Ms. Luthor!”_ Cat snapped into the comm.

Lena grit her teeth. “I promise, I’m trying to help, and I’ll be back. But I’m needed.” She turned and began to hurridley walk towards the door.

“I believe you.” Kara’s voice floated to her ears causing her to pause in her tracks. Lena hesitated, tempted to turn around, but Kara said nothing more, and the Luthor heiress didn’t want to scare the unpredictable woman into closing her off once more.

It had been the first conversation they’d had in a while that hadn’t ended in them vehemently arguing about the moral implications of the Empire. And, while it was still a steep uphill climb, Lena was beginning to understand Kal-El’s genuine care for his cousin, and the crossroads he had stressed with so much gravity.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

“Less than ten minutes ago, one of our border patrols investigated a fallen unidentified object.” Cat Grant pulled up a holographic map, throwing her hands outwards, causing the image to spin dizzyingly before zooming in, a red circle flashing around a small area on the northern side of their territory. “They soon reported a foreign pod with Daxamite script engraved on the side of said pod.”

Lena tensed at the information, feeling Maggie do the same at her side.

“Do you think Rhea already knows where we are?” Alex asked aloud to the room.

Eliza Danvers shook her head from where she stood by a rebel soldier who was briskly monitoring live camera feed from the main entrance of their base. “The images of the pod sent from the patrol show a much older model than that used by the Empress’ central fleet.”

“Was there anyone _inside_ the pod?” J’onn asked.

Cat nodded, pulling up another holographic image, this one more two dimensional than the elaborate map of the base’s outer lands. Lena found herself looking at a photograph, most likely taken at the crash site, of a personal escape pod, the metal looking worse for wear, and the paint either faded or chipped. The hatch was open and inside the only seat of the small pod was a dark-haired man sitting completely unconscious, his head lolled to the side, limbs loose.

She squinted at the photograph, trying to rack her brain for a potential identity of the mystery man. “Whoever he is, he’s not from Coruscant or any of the Luthor’s personal business circles,” Lena said.

She glanced at her master who was standing with his arms crossed, face unreadable.

“Are we detaining him?” Alex Danvers asked from the other side of Maggie, ignoring Cat’s glare from the other side of the room. Lena had forgotten Alex was technically at civilian status as of that morning.

“He should be on his way to the same solitary medical room that Kara Zor-El was placed in upon her arrival,” Eliza answered her daughter. Lena sensed an unease and a sharp prickle of pain as the woman spoke Kara’s name. “We don’t know what he’s been exposed to or who he is. A simple blood test should let us know what we’re dealing with.”

“Worst case scenario, he’s here to break Kara out,” Maggie said in a low voice. “I’ve seen too many people take different drugs to pull cons. Lower your heartbeat, knock you out, only to allow you to wake up in a few hours or so as if nothing had happened.”

Lena doubted that was the case, but remained silent. She pursed her lips, studying the image of the man still projected. “With all due respect, General, why did you call for J’onn and me specifically?”

“We need one of you to investigate the crash site. It would be beneficial to have a Jedi leading that in case anything does come up. I also want the other to monitor our new arrival should he awaken, as Captain Sawyer put it,” Cat ignored Maggie’s indignant snort at the title preceding her name, “‘as if nothing had happened’.”

“And Kara?” Lena asked. She understood Cat’s precautions regarding the pod and the mystery man, but to leave Kara only under the watch of security cameras and maybe a guard posted at her door seemed . . . lacking.

“For now, she is not a threat. Not as long as her connection to the Force remains hindered,” Cat answered. “You are dismissed.”

The briskness of her tone left little room for argument, and people scattered quickly. Lena turned at the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. “J’onn! You scared me!”

“Eliza Danvers has told me that you were sent to go speak to Kara Zor-El.” He made sure her eyes were levelled with his, his gaze almost paternal in its concern.

Lena grimaced. “Yes. I . . . didn’t get her to say anything regarding Imperial plans, but she at least spoke with me.”

J’onn’s brow furrowed a bit. “Because she doesn’t trust us or she doesn’t know anything further than what we do?”

Lena shrugged. “Both? She . . . I think she’s still coming to terms with the fact that Rhea didn’t give her as much reign and information as she had originally thought.”

J’onn modded in understanding. “To be betrayed by your master . . . it is something that is unimaginable.”

Lena smiles softly up at J’onn, glad that she didn’t have to worry about that. The man was more than a mentor, he was her friend. And she could see in his eyes that he meant the things he said, that he would step in front of a saber for her if it meant she would live just a bit longer than he.

“Go to our new arrival.” J’onn stepped back with a nod. “We can talk later.”

Lena nodded, grateful.

* * *

  **Luthor Estate — Coruscant**

“Master Luthor, would you like a cup of —”

Lex Luthor slowly turned around, facing his butler with a glare, his shoulders heaving with the deep breaths he was taking in. “ _Leave. Now.”_

His butler bowed, wisely hurrying from his office before Lex could turn his fury towards the man.

Lex let out another yell, knocking more books from his bookshelf in his rage. How could he have let his sister go from his grasp so _easily_ ? They had been so _close_. So close to capturing not just Lena, but her new unlikely ally and recent defector from the Empire: Kara Zor-El.

Lex’s lip curled. He had never liked the sith, and he knew that the feeling was mutual. But they had worked overlapping missions enough times to gain a semblance of respect for one another even though they trusted one another little to nothing.

The only positive outcome from their mission had been the Kryptonite — the allow successfully worked, once it was taken from the lead-lined cloth, and even _more_ exciting, it seemed to have a _very_ aversive effect on the Kryptonian in particular. Lex closed his eyes, savouring the memory of the sith writhing in pain at his feet.

He brought a hand to his face, feeling the bandage over his eye, frowning when he felt the sting of the pressure on his wound. His sister had scarred him, thankfully missing his eye. But it would forever be a reminder of when she had foolishly joined the rebels in an attempt to make herself feel significant. She had sealed her fate. He now knew that there was no saving her from her own destruction.

His holo-communicator beeped and he pulled it out. “Admiral,” he growled.

“Master Luthor, the Empress demands a progress report on the synthesis of the Kryptonian isotope.”

Lex fought the urge to hang up on the man. “The Empress should understand that I was released from medical supervision less than twelve hours ago. Synthesis will take at _least_ forty eight hours to finalise. That doesn’t include estimated time for testing.”

The Admiral nodded. “I understand. The Empress has a deal to make in the meantime. She’s put you in full command of project Medusa while your mother is still in critical condition.”

Lex grounded his teeth at the reminder. Yet another reason to eliminate the House of El forever.

“You need Force-users for your Kryptonite tests, yes?” the Admiral continued. “The Empress has a prison where she has enclosed all of the younglings from the initial excursion protocol.”

Lex frowned. “I have never heard of a place.”

“It was need-to-know. For security reasons,” the Admiral responded in a clipped tone. “Her deal is this: you get the younglings in pairs, one for every day of testing until it is done on the condition that you find the rebels first.”

Lex could feel the vein in his forehead standing out in his frustration. “That makes no sense, _Admiral_.”

The Admiral stood straight, shoulders back. “At the present, they are our top priority considering they are our greatest threat. For the time being, our mission of assimilation and expansion continues as is, and the rebels are stuck where they are lest they risk giving us the upper hand, which, need I remind you, we already have.”

“Where’s the Empress now?” Lex growled.

“Unfortunately, the Empress is dealing with other matters at the moment. She’s allowing you access to any resources necessary, and wants her ward back dead or alive.” The Admiral’s face was serious, and Lex knew that what he spoke was truth.

“Any resource?” Lex mused. Surely Rhea couldn’t be that desperate. Desperation often lent itself to stupidity and irrationality. She was giving him the ability to overturn her with a simple order.

But he also knew that she understood his genuine desire to eradicate those who could connect with the Force was stronger than his desire to rid the galaxy of her reign. For the time being, he would play her game, if only to save the people who were at risk of being destroyed by those with enough power to do so.

“I want the Medusa on my ship as soon as possible,” Lex ordered. “Then I want you to broadcast a message across all frequencies: for every three days the Resistance ignores my call to surrender, a planet dies.”

The Admiral blanched a little at the order. “Sir —”

Lex levelled his good eye with the man’s holographic image. “ _All_ frequencies.”

And then he hung up on the man, leaving the Admiral to do what he had asked. Lex closed his eyes and inhaled, feeling the evening sun on his back. Maybe his mother had been wrong about their uneasy partnership with the Daxamite. As much as she was a pain, with the loss of her ward, she was becoming a valuable ally. He would get her ward back to her, but he would also make sure to bring his sister back as well.

Luthors stuck together no matter what. And if Lena had chosen to turn her back on him, Luthor blood or not, she had made it personal. She would die, just like Kara Zor-El — like _Kal_ -El.

And then he would eradicate the Force-sensitive freaks from the Empire forever. Whatever it took.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

Lena stood outside the room, looking in through the window with a frown, trying to rack her brain for all of the possible places this man could have come from. If she were honest, there were far more possibilities than initially thought, simply because the older models of Daxamite Imperial ships and pods were being sold across the galaxy for extra scrap parts and small winnings.

Underground and black market rings held many, _many_ different outdated goods, and those from dead planets were far more valuable than those from existing ones.

“He’s not a nobody,” a familiar voice said from behind her.

Lena jumped in surprise, whirling around, ignoring the strange looks the guards shot her way. “ _What the hell_?” she hissed at Kara as the sith stood there, still looking haggard and worn, her blue eyes tired.

Kara gestured towards the window Lena had been looking through. “Him. He’s not just anybody.”

Lena followed Kara’s hand before looking at the woman curiously. “Your connection with the Force is close to nothing. How are you doing this?”

Kara shrugged, looking at her hands. “I’ve found that the only thing I can do easily is find you.”

Lena felt her ears redden at the raw honesty in the woman’s voice, turning instead to face the window so that the guards didn’t think she had completely lost her mind.

“Who is he? Do you know?” Lena asked.

Kara stepped up beside Lena, the sith’s shoulder brushing against hers. “Only from records Rhea has probably long forgotten. She always kept a copy of Daxam’s history despite eradicating anything and everything related to Krypton.” Kara’s voice held venom in it.

Lena glances at her . . . companion and sees the steel in her blue eyes as she looked at the man unconscious  in the bed.

“A long time ago, around the time when Rhea found me at the beginning of her coup to disrupt the Republic, she sent out a section of her military for an undisclosed objective. She didn’t tell anyone but myself and her other ranking officers, but I didn’t give it much thought until now.”

Lena blinked. “So he’s a lost officer of the Daxamite Empire?”

Kara shook her head. “He’s more than that.” She glanced at Lena before nodding towards the window. “He’s the prince of Daxam and Rhea’s son, the rightful heir to the Empire. His name is Mon-El, and he’s been presumed dead for over twelve years.”

Lena gaped at the news, facing Kara before staring at the man in the bed, her mind going blank as she tried to process this information. The silence was broken by the sound of the door opening, and Lena turned to see Eliza Danvers step out, murmuring a quick greeting to the guards.

She felt Kara’s presence leave her side as Eliza came near. “He should wake up soon. I’ve taken him off the sedatives. His blood tests came back but they don’t match any DNA we have on record.”

Lena grimaced. “He shouldn’t. He’s Daxamite.”

She left Eliza’s side without an explanation, nodding to the guards stationed by the door as she walked in. Lena paused for a moment, studying the man’s profile. He was attractive, in an objective sense. A somewhat wispy beard, though full, and a nicely shaped jawline. She glanced at the heart monitor as the rhythm of the machine began to change.

Lena felt herself began to panic a little internally, wondering how she was supposed to talk to the second known Daxamite to exist in the known galaxy. Especially . . . the prince of an oppressive Empire and son of a tyrannical Empress.

She stepped a little closer as the man began to stir, tenderly reaching out with the Force, hoping to see if she could see anything that may inform her further of his condition, past, character, etc. She sensed what she’d expected of a groggy person waking from an unknown amount of time unconsciousness. Not for the first time, Lena wished that her strong connection with Kara was as easily replicated with others.

“Mon-El of Daxam?” she began slowly. “Mon-El, my name is Lena Lu —”

She found herself being choked off, literally. The air being sharply cut off as a hand shot to her throat. Lena’s eyes went wide as Mon-El sat up, his eyes narrowed as he spared no strength in trying to suffocate her.  

“Mon . . . _El . . .”_

Mon-El’s face seemed to grow darker, the lines deepening as she gasped out his name.

“Who are you and how do you know me?” His hand seemed to tighten on her throat and Lena began to see her vision dim. “That name died long ago —”

Lena took her chances and used the Force to blast him backwards. The Daxamite fell backwards, tumbling off the other side of the bed as Lena fell to the floor, gasping and rubbing her sore throat, eyes watering.

Mon-El stood shakily to his feet, looking ready to fight. They both turned as the guards rushed into the room, guns held at the ready.

“You’re a _Jedi?!”_ Mon-El asked, incredulous.

Lena flicked her wrist in command, a motion she’d seen both Alex and Maggie use before. One of the guards fired and the shot landed on Mon-El’s chest, causing him to collapse to the ground like a rag doll.

The other guard made to help Lena up and she waved him off, steadily standing on her own feet. She stumbled over to Mon-El’s unconscious form, looking down at him.

“You handled that well.”

Lena didn’t even turn to look at the source of the familiar voice.

She watched as the guards began to lift Mon-El and put him back on the bed.

 _Lena? Lena are you okay?_ J’onn’s voice filled her head, concern and panic permeating his tone.

Lena grimaced. She forgot how closely her mentor monitored her. He would have felt her dancing dangerously on the edge of consciousness.

_Fine. Our new arrival just woke up. I think . . . I think he’s Daxamite._

J’onn was silent for a moment. _We’re on our way back._

“How well did Daxam and Krypton get along together?” Lena asked quietly enough for Kara to hear her and no one else.

She heard Kara scoff and glanced at the woman.

“We didn’t. If it weren’t for mutual benefits from our trade, we would’ve been in constant war.” Kara stood closer to the bed, her brow furrowed as she focused on his face, eyes clearly scanning him. “I’m surprised he’s unscratched.”

The sound of urgent footsteps coming down the corridor grabbed their attention, and both of them turned to see General Grant and J’onn J’onzz entering the room. Eliza Danvers followed soon after along with Maggie Sawyer and Alex Danvers.

“Lena, are you okay?” Alex asked, concerned. She grabbed Lena by the shoulders, scanning her up and down for injury.

“Ease up, Danvers,” Maggie said, amused as she gently pulled Alex back.

“Aren’t you supposed to be elsewhere, Miss Danvers?” the General’s steely tone cut through the room.

Alex stood straight, facing Cat, clearly ready to respond when Eliza stepped forwards. “We have enough going on right now as is, General.”

J’onn made eye contact with Lena, his eyes flickering down to her neck where she expected a necklace of bruises to start appearing soon. She gave him a reassuring look, letting him know she was okay.

“I wonder what he was doing out there for so long,” Kara mused. She stood near Eliza, the woman unfazed, since Lena was the only person who could see the sith. She couldn’t help but notice how Kara refused to look at her . . . once-adopted mother.

“Well, since we’re all here and Lena Luthor seems to be in one piece, maybe we can move along and awaken our unfortunate guest.” Cat’s tone left little room for argument.

Eliza grabbed a bottle of clear liquid and a small wad of cotton, dousing the cotton in said liquid before wafting it underneath the man’s nose.

The Daxamite jerked awake, eyes wide and panicked, his limbs flailing, tangling him in his sheets. The guards lifted their guns again, and Cat held up a hand, telling them to hold their fire.

Alex’s hand rested on her spare, personal gun, while Maggie drew her own, keeping it lowered by her hip. Lena knee the move was deceptive. She could aim and fire that weapon faster than someone could blink, and she’d seen it in action.

“Peace, friend,” J’onn soothed, his deep voice calm.

Mon-El stopped moving, his eyes still on guard as he looked at each of them nervously. His eyes flickered down to J’onn’s saber before he found Lena, doing the same to her.

“ _Two_ Jedi,” he breathed.

“We have a third in physical rehabilitation at the moment,” Maggie quipped. “Guy lost an arm and then came out of a small skirmish with a terrible concussion.”

Mon-El frowned. _“_ I thought the Jedi were all but extinct.”

Lena shook her head. “Scattered and hidden, but not dead.”

“I guess I just assumed when I received word of Kal-El’s defeat,” both Lena and Kara tended at the reminder of their family ties, “that the Jedi were done for.”

His eyes zeroed in on Lena. “You knew my name. How?”

Lena ignored the way J’onn’s eyebrows rose in surprise. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her.

“I’m surprised you haven’t told _anyone_ about . . . _this_ ,” Kara said directly to Lena.

“Someone I trust,” Lena answered shortly, seeing Kara’s eyes widen at her words. She was sure no one outside of Rhea had ever said those words aloud to her, and she knew that deep inside, Kara desperately wanted her life from Midvale back again. And to see the people she loved so deeply look at her as the enemy . . . Lena knew Kara needed to hear it.

“You are though, right? Mon-El, prince of Daxam.”

The surprise that filled the room was almost tangible. Everyone watched as Mon-El nodded reluctantly.

“Yes, Rhea is my mother . . . but only by birth. A mother shouldn’t throw her family away like she did. As if they were expendable for her benefit alone,” Mon-El said bitterly, looking away.

Lena let out a dry laugh. “I know a bit about that.” At Mon-El’s questioning look, she continued. “Lena Luthor,” she gave a sad, lopsided smile. “I’m the sister of the madman who ended the Old Republic.”

Mon-El’s eyes softened at her admission and he dipped his head in condolence. She was genuinely touched by the gesture, her curiosity about the man heightened a little.

“What is the son of the Empress doing in an outdated pod on Resistance territory?” Cat asked. “Secret territory, I may add.”

Mon-El winced, rubbing his neck awkwardly. “I . . . picked a planet at random? Well out of the ones _not_ occupied by my mother’s forces anyway. I was in a hurry and the Imperial troops were getting close to my pod.”

J’onn chucked wryly. “I knew it seemed shot. Literally.”

Mon-El nodded.

“So . . . you defected?” Maggie asked slowly, her tone suspicious. Alex stood silently by her side, her eyes telling Mon-El that he was still considered a threat despite his more easy demeanour.

Mon-El hesitated. “If I’m honest, I haven’t been a part of the Empire for a long time.”

“What do you mean?” Lena asked.

“He means,” J’onn jumped in, “that Rhea had sent him away to _stay_ out of the way.”

Lena heard Kara snort from somewhere behind her. “Well, we’re just _surrounded_ by poor parenting.”

“My mo — _Rhea_ — initially sent me _years_ ago under the guise of training. I thought I would be gone for a year or so and come back as a commanding officer, but soon a year turned into many, and . . .” Mon-El sighed, rubbing his face. “At first I was certain she wanted me to do special forces operations on the Empire’s outskirts, working as a liaison between central command and the rogue planets that even the Republic hadn’t really touched. For a while . . . for a while we sent in reports, until we realized the only thing we were getting back were automated replies. My officer in charge told me we were sent to bring prosperity to the outskirts planets, but all I saw was death, oppression, and forced labour.”

Mon-El looked a little sick at the memory, and Lena could feel genuine disgust radiating off of his person. J’onn must have sensed the same, and he stood closer to the man, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. The Daxamite took another deep breath before continuing.

“When I got word of the Luthors’ new weapon, I knew that my mother wasn’t going to stop until _every_ planet and system declared completely loyalty to her Empire.”

He looked down at his hands. “She had spoken of balance my entire childhood, even when Daxam was still a thriving civilisation,” Lena ignored Kara’s mocking snort, “but this . . . this is not balance.”

Lena heard Kara scoff before feeling her presence leave the room.

“So . . . your plan was to find the Resistance by picking a random planet in a damaged, old pod . . .?” Maggie asked slowly.

Mon-El gave a small smile. “I guess I lucked out, huh?”

“It happens,” Lena responded with a wry smile.

“How do we know we can trust him?” Alex asked Cat.

The General hummed in thought as she studied Mon-El. Her eyes flickered to Lena’s neck and Mon-El’s gaze followed hers to the bruised skin nervously.

“Considering his story and his disappearance line up, I have no reason to doubt his story,” she reasoned.

“You said your name had died long ago,” Lena began. “What did you mean by that?”

Mon-El shrugged. “I became obsolete. Deleted from most of not all records. I was surprised when you said my name, and suspicious too. I . . . am sorry that I attacked you.”

Lena frowned. “Not forgotten, but I accept the apology.” He seemed to accept this.

“Do you have any information that could help us against the Empire?” General Grant inquired. “So far, we’ve been stuck waiting on our asses as the Luthors and the Empire wreak havoc on the galaxy.”

Mon-El sat up straighter. “I actually may have something. Before I defected, leaving the small fleet that I’d been with, I grabbed a file of plans that we’d intercepted from central command. The Medusa weapon — it’s not just a tool of intimidation and war, it’s a tool of extermination. The Luthors have devised an is —”

“An isotope from a Kryptonian core that can mute a person’s connection to the Force,” Lena finished for him. She answered his impresses gaze with a shrug. “We’ve had an idea of the things they’ve been up to.”

“That’s not all. I assume you monitor all frequencies off news of any Imperial activity.”

General Grant nodded in confirmation.

“Before I passed out on my entry into your atmosphere, I saw that the same message was being broadcasted across all common frequencies. I could only get bits of it but it sounded like it was on repeat, and _not_ from the Resistance.” Mon-El’s voice held enough honesty that Cat pulled out her long range radio, tuning it to a local frequency.

 _“— for every three days the Rebels fail to surrender both Lena Luthor and Kara Zor-El, a planet will die. For every week, a high-value prisoner dies. Beginning with General Wayne. It is a time of war and a time of choices, thus, as decreed by the Empress, for every three days the Rebels fail to —_ ”

Cat cut Lex’s familiar voice off by turning her radio off. The room was silent.

“Does that mean,” Alex began slowly, looking a little green, “that every three days we have Lena and Kara in our custody, a random planet ends up like Endor II?”

No one responded, not wanting to voice the honest and violent truth aloud.

“They’ve forced our hand,” Cat said grimly into the silence.

“Cat,” Eliza began.

The General held up her hand. “Too many people have died already and many more will continue to regardless of what path we choose to take. We have enough allies to band together and mobilize an official tactical force against Rhea’s military — _strategically,”_ she added at the looks of disbelief scattered across the room.

“What do you suggest we do?” Maggie said after a brief and pregnant pause.

Cat sighed. She faced Mon-El sternly. “You, I trust, but if you so much as bruise anyone on this base again, Luthor or not,” she ignored Lena’s protest at the comment, still glaring at and looming over Mon-El, “I will make sure your life ends slowly and painfully, do I make myself _clear_?”

Mon-El wasted no time in nodding in agreement.

“Good.” Cat clicked her heels together as she stood to attention. “Sawyer, I want you to contact all bases to notify them that we are preparing for a Code FS-372.”

“General —”

Cat continued, cutting Maggie off. “Alena —”

“ _Alex_?” Alex corrected the General.

Cat continued as if Alex hadn’t spoken. It seemed she hadn’t yet forgiven the woman for her insubordinate stunt. “You and Master Allen, his health willing, will be going to the Rao system and gathering samples of the Kryptonian core. Your mother tells me you studied a lot of science before deciding to pursue military endeavours — you can put that knowledge to use and see if we can find a way to temper with Lex’s nefarious plans.”

She looked at J’onn. “I’m sorry, old friend, but I’d feel far safer if you were by my side helping me mobilise our forces.”

J’onn dipped his head in understanding. “I’m sure they’ll listen to me more anyway.”

Cat rolled her eyes at J’onn’s comment before facing Lena. “Luthor, I’m going to need you to —”

Cat’s voice faded away, though her mouth kept moving. Lena furrowed her brow, confused and looked around, and then a different, but still familiar, presence drew near to her.

 _It is time for the crossroads._ Kal-El’s voice rang in her head. _It is time for me to re-enter the story, to guide you as you fulfill your destiny._

Lena opened her mouth in question before she saw a tall, very broad shouldered, dark-haired, handsome man materialise in front of her. His robes were a deep blue, the side cape red and held by a golden broach with the crest of the House of El. In person, Kal-El looked just as impressive as the stories had made him out to be, though his face looked a little gaunt, and his eyes were more than a little tired.

“ _Kal-El?!”_ J’onn exclaimed loudly.

“You can see him too?!” Lena asked aloud, amazed.

“We _all_ can, little Luthor,” Maggie responded, stepping back, shielding a slightly-miffed Alex from their new arrival.

Kal-El’s Force projection bowed. He turned to Mon-El first. “You are doing what your heart tells you is right, and for that I am thankful. Balance is not achieved through chaos, despite Rhea’s unorthodox logic.” He faced Lena, his eyes a familiar hue of blue. “And it is an honour to finally meet you, Lena Luthor.”

Lena smiles awkwardly in response, dipping her head in acknowledgement.

Kal faced J’onn with a broad smile. “My old friend.” He let out a genuine laugh, sounding surprisingly boyish. “You haven’t aged a day.”

J’onn chuckled. “I can’t say the same for you. I spot some gray in your temples.”

Kal-El shrugged good-naturedly. “The past nine years haven’t been kind.”

He faced General Grant, his face serious once more. “General, my condolences concerning your son. He was a honorable man and a true soldier. My cousin . . . she has been led astray and greatly deceived.”

“Are you going to kill her?” Alex asked, interrupting Kal’s and Cat’s exchange.

“ _Alex_ ,” Eliza reprimanded her.

Kal held up a placating hand as he faced the older Danvers sister, his eyes sad. “No. I don’t think I could even if I wished.” His words made Alex relax a bit. “Her destiny is far more complex than anyone would have thought and she is at a crossroads, a turning of the tides, if you will.” He faced J’onn. “You were right in your assumptions about Lena: she is the Chosen One, but her role in the end of this age is far less than that of Kara Zor-El. While her actions have been unforgivable, there are not yet unredeemable. I’m sure you have all noticed that her Force attunement has been significantly impaired. She is at a place where she no longer knows who she is, and thus is at her most dangerous point where she could destroy either the entirety of the Empire, the Resistance, or, even worse, both.”

The room was so silent, the beeping of Mon-El’s monitor echoed.

“Lena Luthor is close to finishing her training. The things she must learn are things long lost in Kryptonian texts. While I was a boy when I left my home planet, my parents sent me with many data files concerning the training of Kryptonian padawans.” He faced Lena, his eyes unwavering as he held her gaze. “I will train her where I am, on Dagobah.”

Cat snorted in disbelief. " _That’s_ where you’ve been hiding?”

Kal looked amused. “The story of my disappearance is quite a tale, but one for a later date.”

“What about the war?” Maggie interrupted. “Lena has become a critical asset and Lex Luthor is looking for her. He’s threatened _planets_ in order to get her back.”

Kal nodded. “I know. Which is why you need to sabotage his weapon to buy us time.”

Alex snorted. “Easier said than done.”

“Isotope 454 shares many similarities to another isotope that is far less reactive, and far more rare. In a standard check-up, the difference wouldn’t be detected but —”

Lena slapped a palm to her forehead. “I’m an _idiot_!” She met the confused glances of her friends. “ _Isotope 797!_ It’s found in the caverns of ancient asteroids but can easily be bought in the black market. It’s used primarily for anti-gravity rays.”

Kal nodded in confirmation.

“We can have Winn on that,” Cat said. “Sawyer, I want you to go with him on that. We’ll have other soldiers manning communications.”

Maggie nodded.

“One last request before you divide in this last attempt to end Rhea’s reign,” Kal-El cut in. The entire room looked at him. “Lena takes Kara Zor-El with her to me.”

He met Lena’s gaze. “She needs to find her inner source of balance to use the Force again. But more than that, she needs to know she’s not alone. She’s borne the weight of an entire culture, an entire _House_ on her shoulders for too long.”

Lena nodded in agreement.

“Wait. Kara Zor-El is _here?!”_ Mon-El’s voice rose in pitch as his eyes panickedly scanned the room as if Kara was going to jump out and attack them.

Everyone ignored the Daxamite’s comment.

“Mon-El, I want you with Sawyer and Schott,” Cat ordered. The man hesitated before giving an affirmative.

“Today marks, if we are successful, the beginning of a new age.” Kal-El’s mouth fell into a grim line. “Though the odds are against us, I have faith that we stand a solid chance, _El Mayarah.”_

There was a pause as his words sunk in.

“ _El mayarah,”_ Lena echoed quietly to herself. Things were never going to be the same again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Old Republic Cruiser — Japarel System**

Kara watched as Lena typed in the coordinates into the ship’s navigator as if she had done it since birth. Though, given what she knew of the Luthor family, she wouldn’t put it past them to have enforced that sort of education.

She heard steps on the metal floor of the ship and turned around, her thoughts interrupted by their visitor.

Kara’s eyes widened briefly at the sight of Alex Danvers before quickly looking away. She had yet to think of a way to approach the Danvers family, and every time she thought she had a footing in her surroundings, she found that she still didn’t feel worthy of their attention.

The things Rhea would say if she knew what was happening . . . both inside Kara’s head and the things outside.

“You have a lock on Dagobah, Luthor?” Alex asked, glancing at Kara with what looked like a glare before studying Lena’s handiwork on the navigation system.

Lena nodded a little distractedly. “I have it, but the hyperdrive system on this thing is a little outdated. The Old Republic wasn’t renown for their ship innovation, and considering the Republic hasn’t been around for over a decade . . .” She trailed off as she tapped furiously on the holo-keyboard, slamming the dash to get something working.

Alex hummed. “Well, the tank is full whenever you’re ready. But I’m going to take Kara for a moment if that’s okay.”

Kara blinked in surprise and felt her heart rate increase. What did Alex want to say to her? What did she want from her? _Kriff_ if she didn’t deserve whatever was handed to her, but Kara tried to force her mind from going too far out of control.

Lena merely nodded again, and Kara was pretty sure she hadn’t heard a word of Alex’s not-quite-request.

Alex jerked her head, indicating for Kara to follow her and the ex-sith hesitated before doing so, seeing no feasible way to talk her way out of the inevitable conversation. She felt Lena’s presence grow a bit fainter as they walked away from her and she looked back briefly. It was the only thing she could truly feel through the Force as of late and to wander too far was wandering farther into blindness. Metaphorically speaking.

They entered a spare room that wouldn’t be used by either of them, the standard small rectangular area with a bunk bolted to the wall on one side and a sleek desk-like thing jutting from the other wall. The small window straight across from the sliding doors gave her a view into the hangar where she could see rebel soldiers moving hastily about as they prepared Cat’s elite and personal team for their critical and respectable missions. All Kara knew was that she was under Lena’s responsibility and that the others were doing something else.

Understandably, they gave her as little information as possible.

“I don’t want to have this talk, but I think it’s necessary given past circumstances,” Alex began, her voice steady and a bit stern, eyes levelled with Kara’s.

Alex took a deep breath, releasing it shakily as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m . . .” She groaned and threw her hands in the air with a frustrated “ _Kriff!_ ”

“I —”

“I blamed myself, you know,” Alex blurted out. Kara stood there stunned. She wasn’t expecting that. In fact, she was expecting something along the lines of threats and over-protective warnings on behalf of the youngest Luthor. “When the Blitz began and our house was under fire . . . there was so much. And then Mom and Dad were trapped in the house when the Raiders came . . .” Alex shook her head as if to clear it. “I had one job. Do you remember what that was? One job.”

Kara remembered. She remembered that night far better than she should have. Far better than she’d ever wanted to. And in all of Rhea’s manipulations and lies and brainwashing, she never could erase Midvale from Kara’s mind. No. _Heart_.

“Watch me,” the blonde woman said softly.

Alex swallowed. “Yeah. Yeah, that was it.” She let out a dry laugh. “Watch you and run. And I just _had_ to help them. I told you to wait while I went back, and I ended up losing Dad anyway, and trading Mom’s life for yours.”

Kara felt a familiar soul-wrenching tug at the reminder of Jeremiah Danvers. He had been the first to make her laugh after her pod crashed onto their planet’s soil. Helped her cope with the years she’d lost in the Phantom Zone.

Kara looked down at the ground as Alex continued.  

“But I didn’t lose you, did I? No, instead of _dying,_ you were taken in by the very woman who destroyed the Old Republic soon after Midvale fell. And Kara, it _broke_ me to hear about and see the things she . . . that _you_ . . .” Alex swallowed thickly, her eyes watering a bit as she got lost in memories.

Kara could hear the tears in Alex’s eyes in her voice and flinched as if struck. She couldn’t use the excuse that Rhea had made her do the things she’d done. At the beginning, maybe. But she’d gone along with the Daxamite. _Desired_ to do those things to the _thousands_ of galactic citizens . . .

“Kara,” Alex addressed her, voice a little more steady, and far more resolute. “I never gave up on you, and I promise I won’t in the future either because you were the bravest, kindest, most selfless kid I’d ever met and I know that that small girl who wanted to make everyone around her smile with every fibre of her being still exists somewhere inside you.”

Kara opened her mouth to respond, a lump in her throat and her eyes watering at the memories Alex was bringing up — the . . . _remorse_ she had been carefully avoiding when it came to the Danvers women. But Alex continued before Kara could speak.

“I _love_ you, Kara and while I can’t forget the things you’ve done I do forgive you for them.” Alex looked down, missing the way Kara’s breath caught in her lungs, her shoulders tensing. “But, above all else, the fate of the galaxy is far more important than . . . than the desire of a single Captain.”

The adopted sisters locked eyes and Alex let out a sad smile. “I hope you don’t mess up. I hope you learn to use your power for good, and above all else, I hope you can see that you still matter to us. Because you know as well as I that if you threaten the welfare of our missions and the Rebel cause, I will have to end you _permanently_.”

Kara found she couldn’t look away from Alex’s gaze. She saw raw pain in her eyes. Desperation. Honesty. And mixed in it all was the Alex Danvers _fire_ that told Kara she would follow through with her word.

Kara knew then that if it came down to it, she would never be able to fight back against Alex. She would never be able to look her in the eye and cut her down like she _knew_ Rhea would ask her to do. She would never be able to hurt her which is why, Kara realized, she would have to do more than cooperate with the rebels. Because if she fell back on Rhea’s Empire again, then Alex Dancers _would_ kill her, and she wouldn’t let anyone else try. Alex would kill Kara and then Alex would live the rest of her life with a piece of her missing and Kara _knew_ she couldn’t allow that.

“I know,” was all she said.

Her eyes must have communicated something else and Alex hesitated before carefully stepping close and wrapping her arms around Kara.

The woman stiffened for a moment before hesitantly placing her hands on her adopted sister’s elbows, not quite comfortable with the gesture.

“I just want my sister back, and I know you’re trying,” Alex whispered in her ear.

Kara couldn’t respond and instead buried her face in her sister’s neck, feeling too many things and understanding too many things all at the same time.

One thing she did know for sure: reparations, ones she thought were impossible in regards to her adopted sister, seemed to be on the mend.

* * *

 The ship was surprisingly quiet despite its spacious interior. Kara had already had a quick look around while Lena had double-checked the main systems in the more than outdated ship. Put simply, there was more than enough room for them to stretch their legs. A small room for each of them, and, if she had heard Maggie Sawyer correctly, modified compartments to serve as great hiding places in the event of an Imperial boarding.

Kara had dutifully ignored the soldiers that followed her as she had explored, but couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort at the blatant show of distrust the rebels were presenting.

Now she was sitting in the co-pilot’s chair as Lena put the coordinates into the system, preparing the ship for hyperspace.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to do anything?” Kara asked aloud.

Lena didn’t even look away from her work. “I’m sure.”

It hadn’t been the first time the ex-sith had asked, and she knew that Lena was busying herself in her tasks to avoid speaking to her longer than she had to. Kara knew because she had used this very strategy multiple times in her life.

 _“HQ to Raven. Can you hear me?”_ Alex Danvers’ voice rang out, albeit with a tinny quality, and Kara inwardly flinched at the sound of it. Family was still something she was avoiding dealing with.

Lena sighed, her hands on the main dash, leaning on it from where she stood. The Jedi-in-training hung her head and sighed. “I hate that that nickname stuck with you people.”

 _“It was the only thing I could think of quick enough for this operation, thank you very much!”_ a new voice chirped.

Lena cocked an eyebrow and Kara found herself intrigued by the action. “Winn, you should know better than to call someone by a nickname given to them by an ex.”

 _“Look. The galaxy is at stake here. Your dignity will live. Besides. We’re basically_ all _about to put our asses on the line so you can spare a little grace for me.”_

Lena chuckled at that and flipped a switch, reading the dials as the ship thrummed underneath them. “Ok, it looks like this hunk of junk is set to sail.”

 _“Roger that,”_ Alex responded.

_“Keep your eyes sharp and your wings sharper. Winn out.”_

Lena chuckled again at Winn’s antics. The action put an unsettling jolt in Kara’s stomach. There was something about the familiarity of Lena’s words and actions that almost made her . . . jealous? And the way that Winn and Alex had responded — as if they, too, were more than familiar with each other and each other’s quirks.

“Entering hyperspace. Estimated time of arrival: 5 hours.” Lena flipped a switch and soon the ship was whisked into hyper speed, leaving Kara with the familiar feeling of vertigo at the sudden jump.

There was silence for a moment before Kara spoke slowly and carefully. “Why Dagobah?”

It was the safest question she felt like asking. To be completely honest, when Catherine Grant herself had escorted Kara from her cell with all of her extra belongings (sans her lightsaber; her mask had been left in the now desolate base on Endor II), Kara has been positive that she was being led to her death. Then the General had given her over to Lena Luthor’s supervision per the request of a very influential ally. Not much else was said or offered to her in the realm of information.

She watched Lena’s neat brows furrow together, her strong hands tightening briefly on the steering before she put the ship into autopilot and sat back. If Kara focused, she could feel as well as see Lena’s hesitation.

“I . . .” Lena sighed. “There’s a Jedi master who’s been hiding on Dagobah who offered to aid me in the last leg of my training. I . . . I think he can help you re-establish your connection to the Force. Teach you how to use it for good.”

Lena looked up at Kara, her green eyes serious. But there was something else swimming in there.

Kara opened her mouth to pry, but decided she wasn’t in the position to. Not since their last conversation . . . much like every one they had, had resulted in them arguing.

“You mentioned . . . a long time ago . . .” Lena paused as she thought about her words. “You once told me that Midvale had felt the most like home since Krypton that you often had forgotten what Krypton was even like.”

Kara remembered that conversation. The one she remembered being the most vivid in the Force. She attributed that to the fact that Lena had been working on her crystal at the time. Their conversation . . . in a way, had helped _shape_ Lena’s saber. She didn’t know what to do with that realization.

“Yes,” Kara practically breathed her response, looking down at her hands.

“You never told me what Krypton was like,” Lena said carefully, as if speaking to a frightened animal that was going to bolt at any second. Knowing her own track rate, Kara didn’t blame her.

Kara took in a shaky breath. “Like I said: it’s hard to remember sometimes.” In all honesty, the slipping and fading memories scared her. Because once she lost them . . . they were lost for good.

“We have time,” Lena offered. “I just thought that since we’d be around each other for an extended time, it would be better to get more on even footing.”

Kara looked up at her unconventional ally, and the way she was nervously wringing her hands together. “Krypton was . . . innovative, but you already knew that.” Lena sat up a little straighter as she listened closely. Kara’s lips twitched at the corners in amusement. “It wasn’t a utopia, but compared to the many worlds in the discovered systems, it would seem much like it. Every person had a purpose, and everyone worked to make life more efficient.”

“Sounds pretty . . . progressive,” Lena commented.

“I guess.” Kara stared out the windshield at the blurred star-lines. “My mother and father worked in the science guild, creating new ways for Krypton to venture into space. I was . . . well, I would have joined them. If Krypton hadn’t been . . .” Kara trailed off and they sat in silence for a while, the sound of the ship’s hyperdrive thrusters humming in the background.

“My parents were scientists as well,” Lena said into the silence. “My father was born into money, but he managed to multiply it many times over through his militaristic advancements. My mother was more biologically experimentive, and my brother,” Lena gave a bitter chuckle, “my brother has mastered both.”

Kara thought back to the Medusa mine, and the weapon itself: the particle ray that essentially ended an entire world of life. Based on the urgency of the Resistance’s movements, she could guess that Lex Luthor had threatened to destroy or was closing in on another world.

“And you?” Kara couldn’t help but ask.

Lena looked out the windshield sadly. “As long as I didn’t outperform Lex, the things I did didn’t matter.”

Kara honestly didn’t have anything to say after that, and so they continued in comfortable silence for the first time since they’d met.

* * *

  **The** **_Mytilene_ ** **— Space**

“This thing is a hunk of junk.”

Not for the first time, Maggie Sawyer glared at Mon-El, prince of Daxam. “Listen here, pretty boy, just because you come from royalty doesn’t mean you get to hate on my ship. She’s old, yes, but I can count on one hand the number of people who have either shot her down or outran her.”

Winn popped his head out from the small room he had been working in (something about wiring to get something back online), and gave a small bark of laughter. “While I agree with you, Mon-El, she has the strength to throw me, so I just stay quiet about it.”

Maggie threw a small piece of scrap metal good naturedly towards the tech. “How long until my main thrusters are upgraded, Winn?”

Winn’s eyes glazed over as he began mentally calculating. “I would say five minutes, but I may have found a shortcut . . . give me a few seconds.”

He disappeared and before long, the sound of something mechanical coming to life reached Maggie’s ears.

“Wow.” Mon-El sounded genuinely impressed. “You work surprisingly quick for such a small man.”

Winn’s head poked out again, and he looked at Mon-El, nettled. He pointed a wrench towards the Daxamite. “Listen here, without me, this thing wouldn’t have been upgraded in the first place, nor would you have anyone to operate the specific scanners you need to isolate Imperial TIEs and other related ships, so I would be _thankful_ if I were you.”

Maggie rolled her eyes and walked towards the cockpit, thumping Winn on the forehead as she passed for good measure. She ignored his ‘ _ow!_ ’ and sat down, swivelling around to face the men she’d been tasked to travel with.

“So, Mr. Mystery,” Maggie addressed Mon-El who looked very surprised at the nickname, “beyond hating Rhea’s general state of existing, why fight with us? Why find us in the first place?”

Mon-El sat down on a bench along the side wall. “What do you mean?”

Maggie shrugged. “We’re sitting here on an asteroid in an asteroid field waiting for Winn’s _other_ ‘specific scanners’ to catch some trace of the mineral we’ll be needing for Isotope 797. We have time, and I’m curious why you didn’t just disappear and hide like Kal-El.”

Mon-El let out an amused scoff. “I could’ve hidden, huh? I don’t know. It never occured to me.” He saw Maggie roll her eyes. “Look, I’m saying it because it’s true!” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “My mother’s perspective of balance and unity is . . . very twisted. It’s not right. But one thing that she and Kara Zor-El have right is that the Jedi of the Old Republic had a twisted view of balance as well.”

Mon-El took in both Winn and Maggie’s facial expressions and sighed. “What I mean is . . . the Jedi were . . . developing. They had a strong foundational set of values that when untouched served as a great model for maintaining peace and order. But the Jedi took many of their values and went too far. Peace is not the same as negligence, and emotional moderation is not the same as emotional absence. You do know that the Jedi of the Old Republic were forbidden from taking lovers because the lovers would be an unhealthy source of emotional weakness for the Dark Side to take a hold of?” He shook his head. “But that’s the thing about balance and moderation: while I see the Jedi as a faulty order, they were _necessary_ . They were a symbol of honor and courage and peace. They were the guiding leadership of governing bodies, and they were the connection between the governments of different _systems_.”

Maggie hummed in understanding. “And now Rhea wants to end them all.”

Mon-El nodded grimly. “Her and the Luthors need to be stopped. If the Jedi are eliminated, then Rhea has won.”

“Patrol!” Winn’s voice came from the small table situated on the far side of the room.

“Where?” Maggie asked, swivelling her chair around to face forward, flipping switches and preparing her ship for a fight if need be.

“Oh, boy.”

“ _Winn_ ,” Maggie grounded out.

Mon-El hurried to sit in the co-pilot’s chair, putting his hands on the controls for the guns.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Winn strode over to them and sat on the bench behind the cockpit where Mon-El had been sitting before. He hastily buckled himself in and pulled his holo-computer onto his lap. “Um . . . Imperial patrol! Coming our way. I don’t think they suspect anything but they’ll be on high alert. We can’t be seen by them.”

Maggie groaned in frustration.

“How much longer until your scanner is finished surveying the minerals in the area?” Mon-El asked.

Winn hesitated for a moment. “Five minutes?”

“Too long,” Maggie muttered to herself. “Okay, boys. Hold on.”

She lifted the ship off of the asteroid, pulling it into a very sharp and very quick turn, causing everyone to jerk sideways. Maggie ignored the faint sound of a crash from a distant area of her ship, mentally noting it so she can send Winn to check it out for her.

A very large hunk of rock caught her eye and she steered her ship towards it, diving straight into a large hole burrowing deep into the center of said asteroid. She sent a silent prayer to whoever may be listening that they’d zipped out of sight on time.

“Who taught you how to _fly_?” Mon-El shot towards her.

“Winn,” Maggie prompted, ignoring the Daxamite’s exasperation.

“Yeah…scanners show an uninterrupted flight pattern. I think we successfully evaded being detected.” Winn resumed furiously typing on his device. “The mineral scanner hasn’t detected anything in our immediate vicinity but if what Lena said was true, then in a field of this much space rock, we’re due to find _something_.”

There was a low rumble that sent vibrations shuddering through the old ship. Maggie frowned.

“Unless that was your ship, I _think_ that _something_ found _us_.”

Maggie glared pointedly at Mon-El and the man put his hands up in the universal sign of surrender. Or ‘just saying’. She knew it was the latter for him. “I wish Cat had sent you with Alex. She would’ve had the guts to throw you off the ship.”

Mon-El put his hand over his heart in mock offense. “Honestly. I’m hurt.”

The ship rumbled again and Maggie turned the headlights on as bright as they could go, but all they saw was the cavern’s walls.

“Winn, what’s happening?” Maggie called back as she slowly turned the ship around so they could survey their surroundings.

Winn was furiously typing on his device. “I’m not getting any readings on the ship —”

The ship rumbled again, this time accompanied by a deep, bellowing noise that sounded much like a stomach. Maggie leaned forwards to take a look at the cavern walls. “Um. I'm not a big science guru, but, to me, those walls look very moist for deep space.”

Mon-El blinked. “Guys. Radar. _Radar!!_ ”

Maggie’s head snapped around to look at the radar displayed in front of Mon-El and saw a _very_ large object coming towards them. “The fu —”

 _“Maggie!!”_ Winn all but shrieked.

Maggie spun the ship around, guns ready and blanched at the sight of a large tongue rolling backwards towards their ship. “Oh.”

 _“Missiles!”_ Mon-Ell yelled, slamming his hand down on a button before Maggie could stop him.

Two large streams of smoke pillowed out from the missiles launched from the _Mytilene_ and Maggie watched as they collided with the tongue, illuminating the walls of what she now understood to be a mouth briefly. The tongue flattened, and the cave entrance Maggie now realized had closed behind them (it was definitely a mouth), opened up.

She wasted no time in pushing the ship forwards, all thrusters engaged, her teeth gritted.

Mon-El whooped as they shot straight from the asteroid, their radar showing a great, big object following them before it stopped. Maggie’s heart raced in her chest as she turned her ship around to see a _massive_ worm-like creature tucking its head back into the hole.

“I feel sick,” Winn’s voice came from behind them.

“Wow, you guys really know how to find the worst case scenarios,” Mon-El said with a laugh.

Maggie stood from her chair and jabbed a finger in the Daxamite’s face. “ _Never_ use _my_ missiles without consulting me first! They’re expensive and they’re valuable and can’t be used whenever you feel like it!”

“There wasn’t _time_ for consultation, thank you very much!” Mon-El snarked back good naturedly. “We made it out and,” he paused as Winn’s device beeped from the green-faced man’s lap, “ _and_ Winn managed to get a lock on Lena’s rare mineral.”

Maggie was sure she was fuming as Mon-El sat back with a very content look on his face. “Winn,” she all but snapped as she turned towards her tech, “where is it?”

Winn paused, a hand going towards his mouth. _If he vomits . . ._

“Not far.” He turned his device towards Maggie, still looking green. “Let’s get it and radio Alex. I’m already sick of field work.”

“Looks like you’re just _sick_ ,” Mon-El joker, clapping a hand to Winn’s shoulder.

Maggie sat down back in front of the controls of her ship with a sigh. As much as her group frustrated her, she knew that Mon-El would prove to be a very valuable asset. He wasn’t her favorite person, but he was enjoyable. It took a strong person to come from what he had and aim to see the positives of his life.

“Just . . . prepare the mining droids, Winn. We’re getting it and getting out before any more patrols or worms get us.”

Winn held up a thumbs up and groaned sickly, putting his head in his hands.

Mon-El observed the action with great curiosity before beaming and sticking two thumbs up at Maggie.

She turned away to hide her smile.

* * *

 

**Rao System**

“ _Kriff_.”

Alex thought Barry’s summation of the sight before them was more than accurate and very appropriate. She had heard stories her entire life but never had she thought to see it for herself.

What was once a planet was now a large concave rock with jagged fingers coming off of it giving off the impression of a partially crafted sphere. Surrounding the skeleton of rock were pieces of the planet floating around them like dust, and every now and then, Alex saw a giant hunk of metal. Maybe a ship. Maybe a building.

She swallowed heavily. Kara was right when she said there was no way Argo City would have made it.

“It’s kind of fitting,” Barry mused, wincing as he stood up. Alex made to catch him as he swayed on his feet and he waved her off. His concussion made it hard for him to make quick movements but he was still valuable enough to send with her on this mission.

“What do you mean?” Alex asked, gazing upon the ruins of Krypton.

“The most feared and the most revered Force-users in _history_ both come from this damaged and destroyed planet.” Barry’s voice sounded far off as he gazed upon the ruins with her, his eyes sad. “If I consider myself broken and damaged, then I can’t imagine how they are. And yet . . . they live their lives in the hope of preserving what they can. It’s just . . . poetic, I guess, that death brings you to a place where you can’t help but want to save life.”

Alex thought back to the many memories of young Kara that she cherished. Her planet gone, her parents sending her into space, her getting caught in the phantom zone, missing Rhea’s slowly growing Empire, getting whisked into the middle of it when Midterran was overrun. And the small time that Alex knew her . . . all she could remember was Kara’s _smile_.

“She lost her home twice,” Alex said bitterly, turning on Winn’s mineral scanner he had installed into her ship.

The scanner was less complex and was searching for a far less complex mineral than the one Winn had on his person on Maggie’s ship. Hence why he was needed with them rather than with her.

“Yeah?” Barry asked as Alex steered the ship amongst the debris.

“The Midterran System, the system of my home planet, Midvale, was undergoing a civil war. The inter planet alliances made what should have been a two-planet conflict into a massive insurrection.” Alex began to see flecks of glowing green as they drew closer to the main body of the dead planet, the red light of Rao making the whole scene look eerie and haunted. “Radicals took every major city on Midvale and left them on fire before sending troops from there.”

Barry hummed in understanding. “I heard about that. I was a boy when it all happened but . . . my adopted father told me that a majority of Midterran citizens are now refugees across the stars.”

Alex grunted, lost in memory. “Yeah. Those that survived.”

Barry put his hand on her shoulder and Alex released the tension that had been building there without her knowing.

“If you hadn’t survived, then Kara wouldn’t have been found.”

Alex let out a bitter laugh. “But I didn’t find her. My dad did. And when I was supposed to watch her, Rhea found her.”

 _I was the reason this war escalated so badly_. The unsaid sentence hung in the air.

Barry just smiled softly. “Yeah, well. I wasn’t talking about then.”

Alex swallowed the lump rising in her throat and turned to the right when the radar started beeping. “We’re close.”

Barry winced in discomfort. “Yeah, I feel it.” He pointer up ahead where they were facing the _immense_ concave rock. A large section in the center was glowing green — a poor imitation of the sphere of a planet’s core pulsing as if it were struggling to breathe.

“You got the droid’s controls set up and connected?” Alex asked as she slowly approached the green mineral.

Barry held up the device in response.

“Releasing hatch.”

There was a faint hiss from behind them and soon Barry was steering the remote droid towards the core, looking down at the screen in his hands as live feed transmitted from the small robot.

Alex clenched her jaw as Barry silently navigated the droid over to the core and began chipping chunks off. This stuff could _kill_ her sister and mute _everyone’s_ connection to the Force. She didn’t feel safe handling such a thing.

“In and out,” Barry said with finality as he called the droid, now loaded with samples, back to the ship. “I’m just glad Lex Luthor doesn’t have his minions patrolling this area.”

Alex snorted. “I don’t think he’d have a reason to. Look how much of this stuff is here. By announcing the existence of such a material to the world he’s basically mass-distributing it to the galaxy. He doesn’t need to monopolise it when his goal is to spread it.”

Barry clenched his device hard, knuckles white. “I really hate that guy.”

Alex closed the hatch as the droid entered the ship and the airlock light lit up. She revved the engine, setting the coordinates for their rendezvous point with Maggie’s team.

“Yeah.” Alex set the controls for hyperspace. “So do I.”

* * *

  **Dagobah — Dagobah System**

They had had a long flight, and though the both of them had had a small napping period in that time, Lena and Kara mad mutually agreed on taking time to fully rest before seeking out their new master. It was unclear how long they would go until full rest was possible, and though Lex had set a very explicit ultimatum to the rest of the galaxy (leaving both Lena and Kara’s faces as the most wanted _everywhere_ ), there was nothing for them to do but hope that Alex and Maggie and the rest of the Resistance was doing their duty and carrying out their plans quickly.

Kara had sleepily collapsed onto her bunk and passed out without changing clothes or even pulling back the covers, completely spent.

It had been forever since she had slept on a proper bed, and though the ship’s mattresses weren’t the best quality, it felt like a gift from above to the exhausted Kryptonian.

Unfortunately, Kara’s subconscious, or even the Force, had other ideas for her sleep-time.

_Fire. Everywhere. Zor-El and Alira looking down at her. The pod closing. Then . . ._

_Suffocating darkness. Stillness. The panic settling into her very bones as the air grew denser and denser and denser —_

_Fire again. So hot, she thought her hair was going to catch. Tears running down her face as she watched her second home burn. An insistent hand on her wrist. Pulling her until it left._

_Then . . . darkness._

_“You insolent, ungrateful child!!” Rhea’s voice was unmistakable._

_She felt needles shooting through her skin, a thousand knives tearing her apart from the inside out._

_“I take you in and give you purpose and you come back with failure!”_

_She remembers this. Her first mission. A total flop. A failure. The rebels had one that one. But little did they know that what followed shaped Kara into the dangerous weapon they would soon fear._

_“Clearly you haven’t been training enough,” Rhea snarled. Suddenly Kara found herself on her knees in front of that very familiar, much_ hated _chair that Rhea sat in. Delegating. Ordering. Killing.  Slowly killing her._

_“Kill her.” The order was simple. Cold._

_Kara fought man after man. Soldier after soldier trying to keep herself alive. Her fear and desperation turned to anger and from her anger came great power. She fought to stay alive when her family couldn’t have. She fought to kill Rhea when the soldiers had expended themselves. She fought through the shots tearing through her body, the cuts sliced into her by their blades until she was standing over bodies and bodies, blood soaking her person, her saber stoll thrumming hungrily, her shoulders rising and falling with her heavy breaths._

_She turned, her blade underneath the chin of her Empress. She could end her now. The Daxamite could barely lift a pen with the Force. It would be so_ easy _. . ._

_And then Rhea was beaming. Proudly. Lovingly. And she was offering Kara reward, praise. And part of Kara was relieved. The other part felt sick but that part of her was soon to be buried . . ._

_Then the feeling of fire and needles and pain came back and she heard Lex Luthor’s voice laughing from somewhere above her. A foot was pressing down on her neck, pressure slowly increasing until she was gagging and then he pressed the cursed rock into her skin and she felt like she was going to be consumed by this invisible fire forever and then —_

Kara sat up violently slamming someone in the face as she jumped to her feet. Her body was covered in sweat, her heart racing.

“Nnngghhhh.” A muffled groan sounded from her floor. She looked down at her feet to see a familiar figure curled on the ground.

“Lena?”

Lena Luthor rolled onto her knees, both hands holding her nose. Kara saw blood dripping from between her fingers.

“I guess I should’ve seen that coming,” the youngest Luthor said dryly.

Kara hesitated, not knowing if she should help the woman up. Lena stood on her own, wincing in pain as her hand jostled her nose a bit.

“I felt your nightmare through my own dreams,” Lena said, nose still pinched. “You were hurting and very _very_ scared. Thought I could help by waking you up.”

Kara grabbed a spare piece of cloth by her bedside and handed it to Lena who used it to staunch the blood flow.

“I don’t think it’s broken,” Kara said hesitantly as she studied the other woman’s face.

There was a brief silence as Lena held her nose and tried to clean her hands at the same time.

Eventually the blood stopped flowing and she was tenderly feeling her face. “What was your dream about?” Lena asked.

Kara shook her head looking away. “Nothing. Just . . . ghosts that still haunt me.”

Lena sighed, understanding that Kara wasn’t about to elaborate. They still weren’t at the point of total trust yet.

Kara still didn’t know what she believed herself, but she did know that while they both desired balance, Kara’s methods were something Lena still found worth arguing about. Kara believed in Rhea’s summation of the Jedi Order. Lena wanted them back. Kara desires unity before balance. Lena wanted balance _through_ unity.

They had argued time and time again and yet, Kara knew Lena just didn’t _get_ it. If the issue before the war was the Old Republic, then it wouldn’t serve as the solution.

Beyond that . . . well. Their Force-bond was still inexplicable, Kara still hadn’t made reparations with her adopted family, and they were, in short, unsure of how to handle one another.

Lena sighed, breaking the brief silence. She stood. “I guess since we’re both up, we can go and search for —“ Lena stopped herself mid-sentence.

Kara eyes her suspiciously before Lena continued as if the pause hadn’t happened.

“Pack what you can carry on you. It may be a long walk.”

* * *

 The swamp of Dagobah wasn’t just an isolated swamp: the entire _planet_ was a swamp. Which probably explained why civilisation had skipped over the place.

Kara strode through the muck, following Lena silently, glad for her tall boots. They hadn’t been walking for long and they’d already encountered more than enough strange creatures. The swamp was pulsing with life, and though Kara’s Force-senses were momentarily stifled, she could still feel the life energy around her.

It was no wonder their mystery master had decidedy to hide out here.

Lena stopped in her tracks, head perked like a hound on a scent before turning abruptly to the right, clearly following a presence she could sense through the Force. Kara followed, still silent, quietly envying the young Jedi’s ease at connecting with the Force. It used to be that easy for her as well. Until she had essentially been kidnapped by the Resistance.

 _But it wasn’t just that, was it?_ she thought to herself. Otherwise her entire foundational source of power from the Force wouldn’t be missing. Lena had said that Kara’s power came from relying on her anger and pain to fuel her connection with the Force.

Kara’s anger, while more managed now, was still there, prowling like a panther ready to strike at first chance. But if she focused, she noticed that Lena was right: something _had_ changed. And Kara had felt it, but chosen to ignore it. When she had learned of Rhea’s order to end all connections to the Force, she had turned away from her childhood ideals, and, though not fully onboard for the side of the rebels, was stuck in a limbo of sorts, not quite sure how to navigate from there.

“Are you sure you landed in the right area?” Kara asked aloud.

Lena sighed from up ahead, stopping by a tree as she adjusted the bag perched on her back. “I had thought so. I don’t know why, but I feel like I’m being led in circles.”

“Led?” Kara asked, confused. “By the Force?”

Lena hesitated, guilt flashing across her face. “Ah, no. By . . .” she sighed, almost defeatedly. “I haven’t been completely honest with you. We’re not just looking for any Jedi master —”

Kara blinked and Lena had disappeared. Completely. As if she hadn’t been standing there in the first place.

“What in the . . .?” The sounds of the swamp seemed to close in on her and Kara stumbled back.

She turned to see if Lena had walked away somehow without her noticing, and found herself nose-to-nose with a grinning Lex Luthor. “ _Gah!_ ” she shouted in alarm, stumbling back until she fell into the water and mud ungracefully.

Kara prepared herself for a splash, but was met with a hard surface on her tailbone. She opened her eyes to find herself on the floor of a large mansion. It was the sitting area, couches on either side of her, a chair in front of her, hearth lit by the chair.

“Listen to me when I speak to you,” a hard voice snapped. Kara looked up to see the familiar face of Lillian Luthor glaring down at her.

“Wha . . . I —”

“Stop babbling. It’s unbecoming for a Luthor,” Lillian snarled.

 _But I’m not a —_ Kara looked down at herself and saw a child’s legs. She was wearing a dress that she’d definitely never seen before in her lifetime, and as she moved her head, dark hair fell around her face.

“You _will_ go to the school on Corellia, and you _will_ bring honor to the Luthor name. Lex went to boarding school, Lionel did, I did, and so you’re expected to, adopted or _not_ .” Lillian roughly pulled Kara — _Lena_ — to her feet, dragging her close so that she could feel the woman’s breath on her face.

“Don’t pretend like you want to stay here, _anyway_ ,” the woman snarled.

“And you just want me gone for my inheritance,” Kara heard herself snap back despite her position at the mercy of the Luthor matron.

She heard the slap before she felt it, and Kara stumbled back, holding a stinging cheek.

“Madam Luthor,” a voice called from the far side of the room. “Your 3 o’clock is here.”

Lillian took a step back, straightening her clothes. “Yes. Let them in. I’ll be there momentarily.”

And then the woman was gone.

Suddenly she was in a corridor bustling with young girls in the same uniform, the logo of the boarding school decorating the halls. Someone bumped her shoulder and she found a note in her hand with a time and place scribbled on it.

Kara blinked again and found herself in a dark tower, the view of a rolling scenery stunning from her high altitude. She heard footsteps climbing up from behind her and she turned around. While part of Kara panicked at the sound of someone approaching, the part of her that she knew was Lena in this memory wasn’t surprised at all.

A familiar face peered over the ledge as the person climbed the last few steps.

 _Ew_ , Kara thought to herself.

Veronica Sinclair, in all of her glory, strode out, moonlight cascading around her person like a silvery blanket. Kara had had enough run-ins with the now bounty hunter to know she was never a person to be trusted.

Which was why Kara was surprised when Veronica so tenderly grabbed her . . . no, _Lena_ ’s face. Kara had to squint to see the details on Sinclair’s face in the shadow of her person. Her eyes widened as she saw a familiar shark’s grin spreading across her face before the woman was pushing her back until she collided with a wall.

Kara was thankfully whisked out of Lena’s body, watching from a third-person perspective as the lovers kissed hungrily, wrapping themselves up in one another. She looked away as Veronica started unbuttoning the younger Lena’s shirt —

Kara blinked and suddenly she was falling back into the mud and water she had originally expected. The ex-sith sputtered as the goop splattered over her person. _What in the —_

“Kara?!” Lena’s voice sounded from far off. “ _Kara!_ ”

Kara stood up and raced towards the voice without thinking about it, hearing the desperation crawling at the edges of Lena’s voice.

She stumbled around a rather large tree to find Lena standing there, perfectly clean minus the sweat from the immensely humid atmosphere. As she drew closer, she could see that something was off about her companion.

“Ka — _oh_!” Lena jumped in surprise when she turned to see Kara standing there, dripping with mud.

Kara studied Lena’s face carefully. “What did _you_ see?” she asked.

Lena blinked before looking away. “I — nothing. Nothing. Why? Did you see something?” she finished timidly.

Kara hesitated. Lena had clearly seen something akin to what she had, and if Kara had seen part of Lena’s past, then she _knew_ that Lena had seen something of hers. She slowly shook her head, eyes meeting Lena’s, sure that the Luthor knew she was lying as she voiced a negative.

A loud screech interrupted their exchange, and Kara scanned the treeline above them. The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she felt something approaching them.

 _“Kara_!” Lena shouted in warning, igniting her saber.

Kara ducked instinctively, feeling the wind of Lena pass over her as she attacked whatever had dove for her. She heard the saber sink into flesh and heard the screech again, this time far closer than it originally had been.

She heard the sound of wings beating heavily in the air and hesitantly looked up to see a massive winged creature retreating into the fog of the swamp.

“I think I owe you now, Luth —”

Kara turned mid sentence to see a stunned Lena standing with her saber ignited, but held at her side, clearly unused. In between the two woman, standing directly in front of her, was a man she had thought she would never see again: broad shoulders, black hair with a little gray in it now, blue eyes, square jaw, the crest of the House of El stitched in the top right of his robes.

“ _No_.”

“I’m afraid so, cousin.” Kal-El’s voice, though only heard by her a couple of times, remained as unchanged and unhurt as the rest of him. He looked at her with sad eyes, deactivating his saber.

“I think we have a lot to discuss,” he began quietly, hooking his saber to his belt. “And I, personally, have a lot to apologize for.”

He glanced over at Lena who had put away her saber as well. “I see Lena Luthor didn’t tell you that I was still alive before bringing you here.”

Kara glanced at Lena who avoided her gaze. She felt anger rising in her chest. “No. She didn’t,” Kara growled.

Kal held up a placating hand. “It’s ok. I doubt you would have followed her if she had.”

Kara backed down at his words looking away. She didn’t know what she would have done, but the sight of her house’s crest being worn by someone other than her . . . someone _good_ . . .

“It’s nice to see you again, cousin.” Kal-El gestured for them to follow him. “Let’s head back to my camp. We have a lot to cover in so little time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, I just wrote the end of the next chapter (before writing the rest of it), and I'm ready to be yelled at. Meaning I'm more than freaking excited.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be posting for a while just because of a psychology conference I'm attending for the next week. Sorry ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> Both nervous and excited for everyone's reactions . . .

**The** **_Mytilene —_ ** **Deep Space**

“We have 32 hours until Lex’s ultimatum is carried through. That’s our timeframe for both the synthesization of Isotope 797, Winn has the files on it, and the switch of 797 for 454.” Alex’s voice was teeming with exhaustion.

The rest of the team stood around the holo-table, the atmosphere serious.

Alex’s ship was attacked to the docking system of Maggie’s effectively making the two ship’s one, connected through the entrance hatches on each respective ship.

Mon-El hesitated. “We don’t know exactly where Lex Luthor’s fleet even _is.”_

Barry hummed in agreement. “Mon-El brings up a good point. That, and we have to consider their countermeasures guarding against an attack on Medusa. Lillian could be helping him for all we know.”

Alex hummed. It was true they didn’t know the extent of Lillian or Lex’s injuries from the attack on Endor II. Lex had proven himself capable of walking and functioning fine, as his drastic measures had told the _entire kriffing galaxy_.

There was a pause in the conversation, during which, Winn made a small noise. Everyone looked to the tech and mechanic as he slowly lowered the hand he’d halfway raised.

Maggie cocked an eyebrow. “Yes, Winn? Do you have something you’d like to share with the class?”

Alex swatted Maggie.

“I think I have an idea. Or two. It depends on how far we’re willing to go and what we’re willing to sacrifice.”

Mon-El’s eyebrows rose, impressed. “We’re talking big stakes now.”

“What do you have, Winn?” Alex asked sharply. They were on the clock.

“Ok, so you’re working with the minerals and the compound machinery.” He waited for Alex’s confirming nod. “Ok, well, you may be done within five to six hours. That leaves . . . about twenty six hours to finish everything else. But, while the Medusa is guarded against a large scale invasion, we could try a small infiltration.”

Maggie jerker her head towards Barry. “With this one, all elements of subtlety are out the window.”

Winn hesitated. “Actually, Barry would be helpful for my other half idea.”

Alex was now intrigued. Winn didn’t normally come up with tactical plans, but when he did, his technical mind was an invaluable asset.

Winn let out a large puff of air, rubbing his hands together. He pulled up the most recent article on the Luthor’s main technological firm.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Barry seemed to be holding in a smile. “You subscribe to _Luthor Monthly_?”

Alex glared at Barry, causing the smile to disappear from his face. He cleared his throat and gestured for Winn to continue.

“LuthorCorp rose to power under the business of Lionel Luthor. Before his passing, they had the highest net worth across all of the Core systems with the second most valuable company falling over one billion credits behind them.”

Maggie snorted. “Ok, we already knew they were rich.”

Winn rolled his eyes. “Where it gets interesting is after Rhea essentially took Lillian in as Chancellor while Rhea went off destroying lives as the Empress —“

“I can drink to that,” Mon-El quipped.

“— all of the major ‘competitors’ tanked _completely_ ,” Winn continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted.

“So . . . are you implying that Rhea bought off the competition to help out LuthorCorp?” Barry asked slowly.

Winn seemed to get excited, bouncing a little on his toes. “No, I’m implying that Rhea helped the Luthor’s swindle their way to a monopoly. Look at their analyses from the last twelve quarters.”

He pulled up a graph.

Maggie let out a low whistle. “They didn’t just rise. They rocketed.”

Winn nodded.

“So how does this help us?” Alex asked her friend.

“Lillian and Lex’s main political supports happen because of the finances they are able to give them.” Winn went into full teacher mode.

Maggie coughed, her cough sounding suspiciously like ‘bribed’.

“LuthorCorp, like all main corporations, gets a lot of its support from businessmen and investors, but also from the public. PR goes down, they lose money. Look at the quarter following Kal-El’s ‘death’.”

Winn pulled up an older chart, zooming in on a particular section.

“Tanked,” Alex observed.

“Exactly.” Winn looked smug.

Mon-El raised his hand in an almost perfect imitation of Winn not a minute ago. “So . . . are you suggesting we ruin the Luthor’s reputation?”

Winn nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Alex frowned. “Winn, I admire the gusto behind the plan, but the Luthor’s are untouchable.”

Winn smirked. “Not if I can prove they’re guilty of embezzlement. The duties of the Empress are different than that of the Chancellor. If we can prove that a majority of the funds donated and provided by the shareholders of LuthorCorp are going into the total annihilation of the Jedi and a world-destroying weapon, then even the dirty businessmen who _support_ the Medusa project will hate it.”

Maggie tsked. “Rich guys _do_ love their money.”

“And how sure are you that they are actually committing this crime?” Alex asked wearily, massaging the bridge of her nose.

Winn pulled up a picture taken at night. It was blurry, but there was no mistaken Lex Luthor’s bald head. “This was taken at a back alleyway behind the central cultural amphitheater on Coruscant. The big one shaped like a banana.”

He took in everyone’s blank stares. “Oh come _on_. Even _I_ know that that’s where all of the shadiest black market deals get carried out!” He sighed. “ _Anyway_ , this particular dealer is _actually_ the ex-CFO of Edge Industries. He was fired for selling company secrets. I have no idea what Lex was buying off of him, but it’s not something he would put in the company’s financial records.”

“And what about the billions of dollars the Luthors have in their bank accounts?” Mon-El asked.

Winn snapped a finger gun at the Daxamite. “That, my friend is where reconnaissance comes in handy. Or, in my case, a virus.”

Alex facepalmed. “You have their financial records.”

“Yes, my dear Captain, I do.”

“So what he’s saying he knows for a _fact_ they’re using other people’s money on a secret project that’s not so secret anymore,” Maggie summed up.

Winn nodded.

Alex sighed, hands rubbing her temples. “Okay, my little band of misfits. Here’s the plan . . .”

* * *

  **Dagobah — Dagobah System**

Kal-El had spared no time in sharing his piece with Kara. Lena had been positive the large man would burst into tears, but at most he only shed a few tears amidst a watery explanation. He felt remorse at leaving her on Midvale, but had felt inadequate to care for such a young child at that time. He needed time to recover from the injuries Lex had dealt him, and recovery soon turned into hiding. Hiding turned into a great attunement with the Force, which then turned into . . . well, Lena had heard it all before.

She was far more interested in seeing how Kara reacted, and so far, Rhea’s ex-ward had done a remarkable job of keeping her face completely unreadable. Even going as far as to probe Kara’s emotions through their Force bond had revealed little more than a dull hurt.

As soon as Kal had finished his explanation, Kara had just nodded and given a brief ‘ok’, leaving Kal to stumble through an awkward transition back into Jedi master. They had then wasted no time in jumping straight into training, during which Kara remained stonily silent.

Lena knew she was processing. She knew that Kara was thinking, maybe a little much. But with all of the rapid changes in the ex-sith’s life as of late, it was almost guaranteed that she would need time to process. Especially since she had put off grieving her cousin for so long.

Lena’s greatest fear was that it would be so suppressed, that Kara’s emotions would explode into something they nor her could control. And she had heard and seen the wake of destruction Kara Zor-El was capable of. It was the last thing they needed now on their last chance at an upper hand against the Empire.

Right now they were following Kal on what had thus far been no less than a four mile trek through the swamp. The mud weighed Lena’s feet down, her entire person was drenched in sweat, and she was sure there were a few leeches stuck to her legs. Kal looked like he did this every day, which, given his place of residence, wasn’t out of the question.

Kara was still unreadable, though the hike thus far had required a bit of effort from her as well. Which is something Lena held onto as reassurance. Misery loved company.

“The swamp of Dagobah has become Dagobah itself,” Kal was saying as he walked, his long strides showing no signs of slowing down. “The vines and the roots of the plants connect the entire swamp together so that the entire ecosystem, the entire _planet_ is one singular organism.”

Lena glanced at Kara from the corner of her eye as the other Kryptonian trudged silently beside her. She studied the woman's face, her profile. Her strong jawline, the set curve of her brow. Her distant and cold beauty made Lena internally shiver.

“That’s what makes the Force so strong in this place — it’s what makes it such a valuable place for growth and learning.” Kal-El stopped in his tracks and sat down on a root. He closed his eyes, clearly focusing. “If you wait and listen, you can not just experience the Force, you can become one with it. It’s energy, thus it needs room to flow.”

He opened his eyes and gestured for Kara and Lena to join him. They glanced at one another, unsure before Lena shrugged and carefully took her backpack off and set it on a dry area before sitting near Kal. Kara followed suit, still silent and unreadable.

“Imagine a river,” Kal began. “A river winds and turns, but it ultimately flows smoothly. A river with barriers still flows but the flow is disjointed and uneven with bursts of great power that dwindle into slow-moving currents.”

Lena could understand where he was going with this. Kal began to hover in place as he connected with the Force. Lena had heard about this ability with Kryptonians and part of her was envious. Flight was something everyone had dreamt of at one time or another. To have it come naturally with the Force . . .

“There’s great turmoil within you, Kara,” Kal said slowly. Lena noticed he was avoiding looking at the ex-sith directly. “But . . . there’s also great potential. You share a unique bond with Lena. It’s almost . . .” he trailed off, breathing in deeply, “tangible.”

Kara emitted a deep growl, jumping from the root she had been perched on. “I can’t do this right now.”

Lena watched as she stormed off, looking at Kal-El who’s eyes followed Kara’s retreating figure with an intense sadness. She sighed, feeling Kara’s pain and how even through her impressive walls, the boiling emotions were seeping out.

“Kal . . .,” she began. This wasn't a conversation she was meant to have with Kara. Not this time. Even though she desired to follow the Kryptonian.

“I know.” The Jedi sighed, standing. “I know.”

And then he left her to follow his cousin and have a conversation long overdue.

* * *

  **Luthor Destroyer — Space**

“I _hate_ this uniform! It’s so impractical!” Mon-El lifted his arms, causing the padded shoulders of his uniform jacket to rise a comical amount. “And this is as high as my arms can go!”

Alex had to admit, Mon-El looked a little ridiculous and vulnerable with his arms outstretched from his body only a third of the way she knew they could. “Look, Mon-El, we have a very, _very_ important mission to run. You used to work with the Empire. Where would Lex attach the Medusa weapon to his ship?”

Mon-El frowned, thinking, glancing at the two unconscious and bound Imperial guards that they had stolen uniforms from as they lay propped up against the wall in a dark corner of the corridor. Alex checked her watch, noting their dramatically lessened timeframe until Lex’s ultimatum.

“Ok, the most _practical_ spot would be above the main bridge between the two large artillery cannons. That means that the core operating system would be located somewhere near the main engine operating area.”

“You got that, Winn?” Alex said into her comm.

 _“Loud and clear_ ,” came a scratchy response. _“Ok. Maybe not so clear. But I’m working where I can. There’s only so much I can do stationed between two star systems.”_

What he could do was far more than Alex could have hoped for, and she had personally vowed to buy Winn a drink when they returned to Onderon. The man had utilized the radio frequency on her ship so that he could be in constant contact with both her and Maggie. She and Mon-El were replacing the Medusa core with the newly synthesized isotope, and Maggie . . . Alex just hoped her girlfriend stayed safe infiltrating the Luthor’s personal workplace.

She had Barry. And all Alex could hope for was that it was enough.

“Ok, where is that?” Alex asked her tech.

 _“Follow my instructions and remember to look important_.”

Alex gestured to Mon-El and they did just that: listened to Winn’s instructions, following the turns necessary and taking the lifts needed until they were at the door to the main operating room. It was impressive how keeping her chin up and walking with false confidence led other soldiers to accept that she was where she was needed.

Alex made a mental note to double check the soldiers stationed on Onderon. It didn’t hurt to be a little paranoid.

“Ok, Winn.” She winced as Mon-El smashed the door keypad, causing the door itself to hiss open. “We’re in.”

She glared at Mon-El as she passed him and he just shrugged.

“ _Ok, do you see anything that looks like a giant battery? Possibly glowing.”_

Alex’s brow furrowed as she quickly scanned the room.

“Over here!” Mon-El called. Alex looked to where he stood on the opposite side of the large room lined with electrical wires, pipes, and blinking lights. Indeed, where Mon-El stood was a giant cylinder-shaped canister with a fair amount of warnings in multiple languages posted on it and a soft glow emitting from it.

“Why don’t they have more security . . .?” Alex asked suspiciously.

The door hissed open, letting light flood into the dark room.

“Hey!” a new voice barked. “Soldiers, where are your proper stations? What are you doing here?”

A man in a captain’s uniform marched in with another man standing slightly behind him, a long rifle in his hands. Alex knew that gun, and she also knew that only the most skilled people used it. It required great familiarity and precision, and she should know. She owned one.

“Um, we were stationed to guard the Medusa before prep, sir,” she said, standing at attention. She caught Mon-El hastily following her example from the corner of her eye.

The captain stepped closer to her, scanning her carefully. “I didn’t _post_ any soldier up here . . . _McKinley_.”

Alex swallowed, staring straight ahead. “I . . . it was the recommendation of . . . um . . . R&D. Stationed on this ship. Sir.”

The captain frowned. “R&D isn’t _on_ this particular ship, soldier. Lieutenant, call the main bridge. I think we have some intruders on our wa —”

A shot went off and the captain sank to the floor, all dead weight, his body landing with a sickening _thud_ , a hole in his head. Alex jumped back in surprise with a vehement curse, looking up, ready to fight.

Instead of the lieutenant, all she saw was a wide-eyed Mon-El holding the man’s rifle, said lieutenant on the ground, hopefully unconscious.

“ _Mon-El_ ,” she hissed, gesturing angrily to the captain. “People are going to notice this!”

“He was going to call us in!” Mon-El protested. He swallowed looking at the captain’s body. “And . . . I was _definitely_ aiming for his shoulder or something less vital.”

“Give me _that_ ,” Alex snapped as she strode over and took the gun from Mon-El, taking the pistol from her hip and thrusting it into his hands.

_“Winn here. Good news: Maggie and Barry made it in and out safely. LuthorCorp’s secrets are all on my computer, and anything they add or take away will be right here.”_

If Alex didn’t know better, she’d say Winn was greatly enjoying his job. “Are they on route to your . . . well, _my_ ship?”

_“Affirmative, Cap.”_

Alex sighed in relief. She reached into the pocket of her cargo pants, holding a small canister with the synthesized isotope. It was a laughable copy of the one powering the Medusa, and she silently prayed that she had made enough of it to serve as a suggestable double.

“Mon-El,” she said, offering the valuable piece of mineral to her companion. She had hypothesized that any residue radiation, which hadn’t been tested yet, so she had no idea what to expect, would have less of an aversive effect on his Daxamite genome. Daxamites were known for their impeccable invulnerability to most sicknesses and radiations.

Historically.

Mon-El took the canister and walked up to the main power system. He hesitated, looking back at Alex. She smiled reassuringly, and he gave a half-hearted one back. She inwardly winced when he looked away. That probably hadn’t been as encouraging of a face as she’d liked.

“Here goes nothing,” Mon-El said to himself.

 _“You got it, man,”_ Winn said in their comms.

Mon-El opened the main hatch and the power temporarily shut down, the whirring and humming that had surrounded them making an odd noise as the isotope was being removed. Mon-El took out a small container not unlike the one Alex (well, really Winn had done the metal work) had fashioned and put theirs in, hurriedly closing the hatch.

“That . . . was surprisingly simple,” Mon-El stated, dumbfounded.

There was a brief silence where Alex waited, expecting anything to happen. The ship to explode, an alarm to go off, a report from Winn that Maggie’s ship had exploded.

But . . . there was nothing.

 _“Are you guys alive?”_ Winn asked.

“Um, yeah,” Alex responded slowly. “I think . . . I think we did it, Winn.” She and Mon-El shared a smile, her even chuckling disbelievingly. “I think our luck actually held out —”

The doors hissed open and the sound of heavy footsteps met her ears. She turned around as the lights were flickered on, and blanched at the sight of Lex Luthor in his impeccable purple suit, smiling dangerously at her.

“Oh, my dear Captain,” he drawled with a grin, the action pulling his newly scarred face back into an almost grotesque picture, “I wouldn’t discredit your luck _just_ yet.”

Alex heard Mon-El sigh. “I _knew_ it was too good to be true.”

* * *

  **Luthor Manor — Coruscant**

 _“Leave._ ”

Lillian watched as her butler scurried out, the door slamming behind him. She stared furiously at the wall across from her bed, her jaw working as she breathed heavily, trying to regain her composure, attempting to quell her anger.

LuthorCorp had been _compromised_. And the worst part was that whoever had been chased out of her main office hadn’t stolen _anything_. Despite her butlers assuaging words, she knew that when it appeared someone had stolen nothing, they had _everything_ they could ever want.

She of all people knew that the best heists were the ones that appeared perfectly . . . harmless.

Lillian closed her eyes, brain wracking for ideas. She knew of most of the Resistance personnel. Location was a different matter, but it wasn’t that difficult to find out who had defected from their Empire and joined the rebel _scum_.

Winslow Schott was Catherine Grant’s preferred technical analyst, and Lillian understood why. He had graduated from the top engineering school in the Core systems with a thesis project that revolutionized cyber security. In the same fell swoop, he had created a way for people to create a perfect copy of someone else’s computer that reacted in real time without leaving hardly a single trace.

Except, computers never did leave _zero_ trace, did they?

She opened her eyes with a calming breath.

She would have her analysts on her holocomputer with corporate information. She would wait for their report. And she knew that they would find the virus many if not _all_ people smart enough to do so worked _constantly_ to avoid.

In the meantime, there was only one person who could have given the Resistance the information needed to know to break into her personal holo-computer rather than the main one in the CEO’s office at LuthorCorp headquarters.

She picked up a communicator and waited for it to connect.

“Mother?” Lex asked, his scarred eye still a bit swollen, but still operational. The ugly line down his face a sad casualty of his stupidity and oversight.

“Lex, the manor’s been broken into.”

“What’s missing?” Lex demanded.

“Since investigators have found nothing, we can only assume _everything_.” Her double meaning was not missed. They legitimately had the capability to lose all they had worked to build up.

“The Resistance has our information,” Lex snarled. “Admiral! I need a team of soldiers to come with me to the Medusa deck! _Now!_ ”

Lillian wasn’t surprised when Lex hung up on her without another word. She swung her legs off the bed, ready to face the day, wincing when her casted wrist bore more weight than it was ready to.

Lena would pay for her insolence and her foolishness. She may be a Luthor by blood, but she had lost her right to live as one. And Lillian would make sure _personally_ that she felt the weight of her betrayal herself.

* * *

  **Dagobah — Dagobah System**

Kara could hear Kal approaching her and made no move to leave. She knew this conversation was due, she just didn’t think that it would be so hard to face. To _start_. Her legs hung over the edge of the rock she sat on, the edge jutting off a cliff that fell straight down into more swamp.

There was no waterfall, no trees. Just . . . rock, moss, and a fall.

Kal sat beside her silently and they stared over the green landscape together for a few moments.

“I . . . I don’t know what to say,” Kal confessed softly, breaking the silence.

“You went straight into training,” Kara responded, her voice just as soft, cracking a bit. “You didn’t even . . .”

Kal sighed, looking down. “I know. I guess I’ve never really been good at this . . . family thing.”

Kara didn’t respond.

“I . . . I never knew Krypton. But you know that. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something you’ve hated about me,” Kal confessed. He ignored Kara’s scoff. “That your cousin, Kryptonian by blood, got the credit of Krypton’s legacy and heroics when he had barely walked on the planet himself.”

Kara looked away so she knew he couldn’t see her face. She focused on the horizon line where the sun was going down slowly and steadily.

“I wish I had known Krypton.” Kal laughed bitterly. “Man, I wish I had gotten to see it. To . . . to _know_ what it is you’re feeling. Because no one deserves to carry a burden like that on their own.”

There was another silence as Kara continued to stare at the horizon line. She didn’t have to ask about the burden he was referencing. It had taken _years_ for her to be able to cope with the Krypton-sized hole in her heart. Her family, her culture, her friends . . .

“And then . . . then I got word from the Jedi council that a Kryptonian pod had been discovered and I went and I saw _you_ and I . . . I,” Kal let out a watery laugh, “I panicked. I didn’t know how to tell you that your world was gone, that _our_ world was gone. I didn’t know how to raise a youngling, I didn’t know how to keep you safe when I had my own battles to fight . . . I just —”

“You left me,” Kara interrupted him, her voice quiet. “You. _Left_ . Me.” Her voice gradually got louder. “ _Kriff,_  Kal! I was _alone_ and I already _knew_ that Krypton was dead! How do you think it felt when my parents dropped me in a pod and sent me off and all I knew was that this . . . this _suffocating emptiness_ that stayed with me until the pod’s cryo-functioning kicked in!” She stood up, rounding on her cousin who looked on in sadness as she yelled at him, _furious_.

“ _My home was obliterated and I was left for years with nothing but the fear that I would meet the same fate! And then your face was the first I saw when I came to and instead of consoling me, instead of taking care of me, you LEFT ME WITH A FAMILY I DIDN’T KNOW BECAUSE YOU WERE TOO WEAK TO HANDLE FACING THE LOSS I FELT MORE STRONGLY THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW!!!”_

Her voice echoed over the vast landscape, fading into silence, the world seeming to come to a pause around them. All she could see was Kal’s head as he looked down at the ground in guilt, tears falling from his eyes, wetting the stone beneath him.

It wasn’t until she felt a faint wind on her cheeks that she realized she was crying as well.

“The Jedi order knew about the threat to Krypton ahead of time,” Kal said softly, his voice wet and shaky.

Kara scoffed, spinning on her heel not able to look at him. “I know. And just like you, they were too weak to do anything.”

“Kara,” Kal began. He broke off with a sigh. “The Jedi had their fill of issues. And . . . I didn’t agree with many of them. But they are necessary for peace and balance. They give people hope, and they are capable of a protection that no one else can to the galaxy as a whole.” He looked up off into the sky, and Kara turned around, studying her cousin.

She felt spent, her rage at her cousin having been unleashed, and hurt and loneliness creeping in behind it. She may be with another Kryptonian, but she had never felt more alone.

“My time as a shaper of the future is coming to an end,” Kal breathed as the wind picked up around them. “Not that I’m dying,” he added, “but . . . my destiny now is to guide you. You, Kara, have a destiny that only you can control and it involves a choice: to build or raze, and I want to guide you as a shaper and builder of a new galactic peace. Your past aside, you have made powerful allies, one of them being Lena Luthor. The others, your friends —”

Kara scoffed. “I don’t have friends.”

Kal chuckled, standing. “But you have people who love you.”

He paused before hesitantly putting a hand on her shoulder. Kara met his gaze, studying his blue eyes, so similar to her own. She knew he was trying. She understood that. But the pain inside of her would take time to heal. To lessen. She didn’t think it would ever go away.

“I . . . I’m willing to try,” Kara heard the words come from her mouth. “But I cannot forgive you. Not yet.”

Kal nodded, taking a step back. “Just remember: you’re closer than you think.”

Then he left her to think.

* * *

  **Luthor Destroyer — Space**

Alex glared at Lex Luthor as he ordered his men to leave them, the small metal room feeling all the more stifling with him in there with her. Already, she was breathing in stale air, and the constant humming of the lights above her made her want to gouge her own eyes out, but there was nothing to be done. Her wrists were chained together and to the wall behind her. Her feet were similarly bound, and she was _tired._

“One week and you still refuse to speak. It’s admirable, Captain Danvers, I must say.” He looked oddly smug for a man struggling to find a new source of the mineral needed to make Medusa function the way he wished. “I’m surprised your little rebel _friends_ haven’t attempted some daring rescue.”

Alex bared her teeth at him, refusing to break. Her wrists, already rubbed raw by her shackles, stung as she pulled against her chains. She had no idea where Mon-El had been taken, but she figured he was alive. Though Lex didn’t know the identity of her most recent ally, she knew he would keep him for leverage against his sister.

“My men have spotted nothing in the vicinity for . . . well for a long ways off.” He leaned forwards so that his warm breath brushed her face. “I’m impressed that through everything, you’ve managed to hold your own. Maybe another round in the Pit will do you good, what do you say?”

Alex glared at him, still refusing to break, pushing down the immediate fear that rose up in her chest at the mention of that place. It was . . . horrible to say the least. A gladiator fight to the death between prisoners of different alien races, bare hands. Brutal. And a source of entertainment for the very bored soldiers Lex had in his fleet.

So far Alex had survived, but with the amount of bruises on her person along with a possible fracture in her arm . . . she wasn’t going to last much longer.

Lex didn’t need to know that though.

“Where is the new rebel base?” he asked her.

It was always the same questions.

“Where are Lena Luthor and Kara Zor-El?”

 _Remember Midvale_. _The sun. The sky. The sea._

“Who is the man you came with?”

_Kara . . . always smiling. Laughing._

Lex punched her solidly in the face, his own contorted in rage. Alex gasped, blood dripping from her lips. “ _Where is the rebel base?”_

He hit her again.

“ _Where are Lena Luthor and Kara Zor-El?!”_

Again.

Again.

Again.

Alex felt her vision fading in, but she still refused to make a sound, though she was tempted to cry out in pain when Lex grabbed the collar of her dirty, unwashed shirt, pulling her closer. His raised his hand, his skin covered in her blood.

“Sir?” a voice came from behind Lex.

“ _What,_ ” Lex said testily, not moving.

“We’ve detained a Jedi and his companion? A woman. They . . . they did substantial damage, sir. We’ve lost power in both main thrusters and the damage is irreplaceable as of right now. We’ve also lost a lot of men.” The man’s voice grew very nervous as Lex released Alex and slowly turned around to face him.

Alex felt her consciousness go in and out, struggling to focus on what was happening. Could it be Barry and Maggie? But . . . they were captured too. They were . . . they hadn’t abandoned her for good like Lex had almost convinced her they had. But if they were here then Cat Grant just lost the rest of her team sent out for the greater good of the galaxy . . .

 _But Winn_.

Alex sloppily lifted her head, her vision swimming as she saw Lex exit, his stern voice following him out.

An indeterminable amount of time passed before Lex’s familiar purple suit filled her vision and the chains were being released from around her wrists and ankles. She was forcefully thrust forward.

Alex stumbled, her vision swimming dangerously, the corners of which were beginning to go black. A guard steadied her and she shuffled forward mindlessly, focusing on keeping herself conscious, going where they guided her.

The timbre of Lex’s voice surrounded her, but she couldn’t hear a word.

They entered a room. There were lots of lights. Alex was thrown onto the floor.

A woman shouted, and Alex furrowed her brow, confused. Dazed. The woman sounded scared. Angry. And she was calling Alex’s name . . .

“M-Maggie?” Alex croaked looking up, slowly.

She saw her lover’s face, a face she had kept in her mind to keep her sane. And she had never seen anything more beautiful in her entire life. Alex mustered a small smile, feeling more blood run down her lips and she spat it out.

“You’re late,” she rasped.

Maggie chuckled, tears falling from her eyes. “I know.”

“Let her go!” Barry growled from where he stood.

“Ah, you know as well as I that you won’t make any sudden movements, Master Allen, when her life is on the line.” Lex sounded very smug.

Alex was going to kill him. It seemed Maggie had the same idea. She rushed forwards, her eyes screaming murder, and she struggled as the guards held her back.

“I’m going to _kill_ you, _Luthor_!” she roared.

Lex chuckled. “Get in line, Sawyer.”

He held up what Alex assumed was Barry’s saber and studied it in the light of the room. “What a weapon. Such a unique build and an even more unique process to make. And yet . . .” Lex dropped the weapon on the ground and whipped out a pistol and shot it, causing sparks to emit from the silver handle, and leaving a useless husk of a saber behind.

“ _NO!”_

Alex recognized that yell as Barry’s, though she’d never heard him raise his voice before.

“All of you here together, Captain Danvers on the brink of . . . I don’t even know what,” Lex’s voice was calm and a tad excited, as if he couldn’t wait to see how much she could take, “and yet, still no sign of my sister or the Empress’ ward.”

Lex tsked loudly. “Maybe Kara Zor-El isn’t as Force-savvy as the galaxy gives her credit for. Or,” his eyes lit up as if he had spawned a genius idea, “she just doesn’t love you at all, Captain.” He kicked Alex in the side, causing her to collapse onto the ground, coughing up a mess of red spittle.  “Or maybe you’re just not close enough to death for her to sense you.”

There was a dangerous silence in which Alex wheezed, trying to get air in her lungs and Maggie kept babbling nonsense, trying to soothe her and get her attention.

“Lieutenant, I want the carbonite chamber prepped.”

“Sir, that’s used for ship parts —”

“I _know_ what it’s used for,” Lex snarled. “Prep it. _Now._ ”

“What? No! _No! DON’T TOUCH HER! ALEX! ALEX STAY WITH ME!”_ Maggie’s frenzied screams brought her voice to a cracking point, her panic and fear and anger and everything in between permeating her tone.

Alex’s heart broke at the sound emitting from her lover’s voice, but there was nothing she could do as she was dragged away. The last thing she saw was Maggie fighting to be released. Barry let out a powerful Force blast, shoving soldiers off of them, and then a man pulled out a dart gun, shooting both in the necks.

The door closed before their unconscious bodies hit the ground.

As Alex succumbed to unconsciousness, she sent a plea into the air.

_Kara. Kara please help. I love you. I love . . . you . . ._

* * *

  **Dagobah — Dagobah System**

Six days of training and all Kara had to show for it were some bruises, very sore muscles, and wounded pride. It had been six days since she and Lena had arrived on Dagobah and so far, her Force connection was . . . nonexistent.

However, she had recognized a difference in the energy balance within herself. Initially after her conversation with Kal on her first day on Dagobah, she had felt a terrible nausea within her stomach, and even flared up into a fever for a day in which Kal and Lena left her to sleep it off for training.

When she had awoken to Lena offering her a cup of freshly brewed tea, she had felt more at peace than she could ever remember. Kal had said it was because her body had been fighting through a deep-seated conflict that she had disbalanced because she had made a choice within herself.

Kara didn’t fully understand, but while she felt at peace, she still felt frustrated. Lena was learning leaps and bounds under Kal-El’s tutelage, and while Kara was fascinated with the ancient Kryptonian techniques and tricks, she couldn’t practice it.

The Force was sort of necessary for some of the things Kal was trying to teach her.

Right now, they were doing another brisk hike. While at first, Kara and Lena had thought it primarily just a physical exercise, it was Kal’s natural way of showing them in a tangible way how the Force, much like the vines of the swamp, connected everything it touched.

But right now, it just felt like physical exercise, and Kara _hated_ it.

Lena, who was in front of her, glanced back at Kara, her dark hair tied back, her shoulders and neck glistening with sweat even under her simple sleeveless tank. Military issued. Kara was familiar with them. She was wearing one as well.

It didn’t mean she didn’t notice the way the swooping neck emphasized Lena’s collarbone and shoulders. And the way it made something inside her twinge uncomfortably. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to will it to go away. She wasn't  _blind_. Lena Luthor was a  _very_ stunning woman.

“Yes?” she asked with raised eyebrows.

Lena just smiled and shrugged, turning back around to catch up with Kal who was far ahead of them. Kara sighed and raced after her.

“You know it’s not a race, Luthor!” she called ahead of her, legs pumping as she forced herself to go faster.

“Then why are you racing?” Lena shot back good naturedly.

Against her better judgement, Kara scoffed, the corners of her mouth pulling slightly in amusement as she jumped over a tall tree root. She soon found herself neck and neck with Lena and smirked at her. She saw Lena do the same out of the corner of her eye.

“It’s not a race!” Kal’s voice called from ahead of them. Kara saw him waving good naturedly from far ahead. How he moved so quickly, Kara wouldn’t ever know.

“Yeah, _Luthor_ ,” Kara couldn’t help but snark between pants. “It’s not a —”

Everything around her was swallowed in darkness as Kara fell. Her adrenaline spiked as fear shot through her at the sensation of the quick descent. She hit the ground hard enough to force herself to collapse on the ground, hissing in pain.

Kara did a quick check over herself, making sure she was in one piece and fine. She looked up, and saw a sliver of sunlight seeping in on her. “Luthor!” she shouted up. Her voice echoed, telling her she was in a larger area.

No response.  

“Great,” Kara growled. Just when she had been having a little fun with her new . . . well she wasn’t ready to label Lena a friend just yet, but they had definitely become more at ease with one another as of late. They’d had to.

The sound of a saber igniting from behind her sent Kara’s hairs standing on end. The blade was a deep blue, marking it as a weapon of the Jedi, not the sith, the hilt slim with golden trim. But it wasn’t the blade that made Kara’s heart skip a beat. It was the person holding it.

“No . . . no, you’re not here! You _can’t_ be here!” Kara’s breath began to come out more rapidly in panicked breaths.

The Empress advanced slowly, her lips pulled back in a closed-mouth smile. It was cold, evil. And it brought back memories Kara wished she didn’t remember.

Kara tripped on a rock and fell onto her haunches, scrambling backwards as the Empress advanced still.

This had to be some swamp vision again. It had happened when she’d first arrived, and it wasn’t out of the question to happen again. The vision of Rhea swung the blade down violently and Kara rolled out of the way as the blade cut a large rock in two behind where Kara had been not moments before.

Kara’s eyes went wide in fear. There was no way she imagined that.

“ _No!”_

She ran away from the image of the Daxamite who had used her, feeling the mossy rock desperately for an opening or a secret lever or _something_.

“ _Luthor!”_ she yelled, panicked. “ _Kal!”_

The thrumming of the saber came nearer to her, and Kara’s eyes widened again as she ducked instinctively, the saber cutting into the rock where her head had been. The ex-sith faced her demon, back to the wall, literally.

The image of Rhea stepped closer, blade lifted ominously. Kara closed her eyes, ready for the final blow . . .

And then she realized something. This fear, this resolution for death — that was what _every_ person she had looked in the eye and ended had felt. And she had faced it countless times, but now . . . the swamp had changed her, and Kal was right: she had chosen.

 _The river must flow without barriers_.

Her anger. Her pain. They were a part of her, but they shouldn’t be used to fuel her actions. Her connection to the Force — her _closest_ and most loyal companion.

“ _No!”_  Kara shouted, her hand outstretching as the saber came down towards her. As if in slow motion, the blade bounced off of an invisible barrier and flew backwards. The image of Rhea’s face contorted in rage and she went for Kara’s neck with outstretched hands —

Kara used another powerful Force blast to send Rhea slamming into the opposite cavern wall. She summoned the blade and used the Force to zoom her over to the rising form.

“You will never have a hold on me _again_ ,” Kara snarled.

She flicked her wrist and she watched as Rhea’s head fell from her shoulders . . . and then the body and the head were gone. As if they had never existed in the first place.

“Wha . . .?” Kara looked down at her hands and saw the blade still lived, thrumming happily. She swung it experimentally a few times, closing her eyes and just _feeling_ the Force around her. It was like being reunited with a sight she never knew she was missing as much as she had been.

The swamp: Kal was right. It spread and spread and _spread_. She sensed Kal. She sensed Lena, and _oh_ how she sensed Lena. Their Force-bond had never gone away, even with Kara’s flop, but now . . . she felt Lena’s panic at her sudden disappearance, the blame the Luthor put on herself. She could feel Lena as if Lena were her, and it was like breathing in fresh air after so long without it . . .

Kara never knew she’d missed this so much. Missed their connection so much.

As her feet left the ground as she hovered in her enjoyment of the Force, she was hit with a terrible searing pain. Different than Kryptonite, and far, _far_ less than when Krypton had died. But it still stabbed her heart, and she collapsed on the ground, gasping for air as it was knocked out of her.

The feeling left as suddenly as it had appeared, but Kara knew. She knew and she was _terrified_.

“ _Alex_.”

* * *

 “Kara, you haven’t finished your training. You _just_ connected with the Force again!” Kal called after her as she strode into his small hut and began packing all of her stuff, shoving it into her bag.

“I don’t care. It’s enough.”

“You know that’s not true,” Lena responded. Kara paused at the sound of her voice and turned around, meeting the Luthor’s stunning green eyes.

“She’s my _sister_ ,” Kara pleaded with Lena. It was the first time she had done so. “I . . . Lena, I _love_ her.”

As she spoke, the realization of her words hit her. She meant it. She meant every word, and she was going to spend the rest of her life making it up to Alex. Alex didn’t deserve to die, not while she was capable of helping her. She didn’t even know if the woman was even still alive at that very _moment_ . . .

Kara saw the shift in Lena’s eyes as she nodded once, resolutely, in understanding. “I know.”

Kara turned and continued to pack. “Then you can’t stop me from going.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Kara paused for a moment at Lena’s words before continuing to pack, Lena joining her.

“Kal, we’ll be back,” Lena said as Kara finished throwing her stuff in her bag. Kara faced her cousin as he looked at them seriously.

Kal shook his head, crossing his arms. “I cannot let you go. Your role in the galaxy is far too important —”

“She’s my _family_ ,” Kara interrupted. She shouldered her bag. “And I’m going. We will be back, I swear it on Krypton itself.”

Kal sighed, hanging his head, acknowledging his defeat. Kara jostled her bag, itching to go and trying to push the growing panic and anxiety rising in her chest.

“Remember, it’s not a lack of emotion, but a moderation of it,” Kal said, looking Kara in the eye. “Promise me you’ll remember.”

Kara nodded, knowing her face was stony, her heart wrenching as another wave of anxiety hit her. She _had_ to get to Alex, and she had to _now_.

“I know.” She walked out past her cousin who didn’t move, the new saber on her belt and she paused just outside his doorway. “Thank you.”

“Just . . . remember to return,” Kal repeated as Lena exited the hut behind Kara.

“We will.”

* * *

  **Hyperspace**

“She’s in trouble, and she could be _dead_ and I should have accepted her good graces when they’d _first_ taken me in!” Kara paced angrily, energy building up in her, but with no place to go. “There’s been no news of any destroyed planets, so we don’t even know if they were successful.”

“Kara,” Lena began softly, “you need to calm down. Remember what Kal-El said —”

“ _Damn Kal’s instructions!_ ” Kara snapped angrily. “He _left_ me on Midvale! Told me to build a life there, and then . . .” She broke off with a growl of frustration.

“What if I hadn’t accepted Rhea’s proposal to train under her?” Kara asked furiously.

“Kara . . .” Lena warned. If Kara were to go there, it would be a rabbit hole she couldn’t get out of.

“No! What if I hadn’t?” Kara rounded on Lena. “What if I had refused to take certain missions? What if I had searched for evidence of the Danvers’ existence instead of taking Rhea’s word that they were dead? What if I had . . . had —”

“But you didn’t,” Lena interrupted the panicked ex-sith. “You didn’t and you’re here now, and you need to focus so that we can find them —”

“Don’t tell me to focus on my family when you have hardly invested in yours,” Kara snarled.

It was a low blow, and Lena knew that Kara knew it, but she flinched anway.    

“Kara, you’re losing yourself in things you can’t control!” Lena insisted, following Kara into the main deck area.

“But I _could_!” The small coffee table in the corner of the sitting area crunches as the Force reacted to the Kryptonian’s desperation. “I don’t . . .” Kara gripped her hair by her scalp, her blue eyes still panicked. “Lena, I didn’t just _do_ the things Rhea told me to! I _wanted_ to! Do you know what it’s like to have everyone in your life disappear? And to have that disappearance be . . . _preventable_!” Kara finally sputtered out.

Lena could always feel the hole Krypton had left inside Kara. That was out of the question. If the feeling she had felt through the Force when Endor II had ended was anything to go by, she knew that Kara, having been raised on Krypton, having a _family_ and _friends_ there — it left her very soul scarred. Healed, but scarred.

“I wanted _everyone_ to pay,” Kara grounded out, pointing down for emphasis, her face stony. “I wanted it so _badly_ that I didn’t care who died. _Kriff,_ I ended _younglings,_ Lena!”

Lena felt her heart rate increase at the confession, and she knew her face had paled a little. “Kamino,” she began.

Kara let out a bark of laughter. “Kamino,” she said to herself, exasperated. “It’s always Kamino. I let her go, yes, but I wanted so desperately to see the rest of that base burn.”

“You keep saying that,” Lena all but pleaded. “You keep _saying_ you wanted it so badly, but I don’t think that’s all there is to it.”

Kara growled, spinning on her heel to begin her furious pacing. “I don’t know why we’re talking about this. Alex was in such intense danger not an hour ago, and we have _nine_ left until we arrive and I can’t feel her _at all_.”

The unspoken fear hung in the air, unsaid.

“That,” Lena pointed out. “That right there. Fear. Kara, you’re _scared._ I think you’ve _been_ scared since the moment your feet left Midterran soil.”

Kara shook her head with a scoff. “This is ridiculous after all we’ve been through, you’re going to start this.”

“I’m not trying to start _anything_!” Lena snapped, only _now_ getting frustrated. “Yes, I’m stubborn but, Kara, you refuse to see your weaknesses, and I _understand_ it’s because Rhea said you couldn’t have any, but that’s what makes you a _person_. A sentient being.”

Kara marches right up to Lena. “Fine,” She snarled. “What am I afraid of, then? What _have_ I been afraid of?”

Lena straightened her shoulders and by the flicker in Kara’s eyes, she knew her Luthor-glare was on her face, full force. She had made grown men cry with this glare when she was but fifteen. It meant that _she_ meant business. “I think you’re afraid of being alone, Kara Zor-El. I think that you’re afraid the people in your lives will either die or leave you like everyone else has, and that’s why you refuse to let anyone close to you. Then Alex Danvers and Eliza Danvers, the _two_ people who have given you a home beyond Krypton, are actually _alive_ and it _scares_ you because you could lose them all over again. And now, _now_ Alex’s life is on the line and you’re _scared.”_

Kara let out a roar of frustration, the rest of the table crunching under her influence. “ _Ok! I’m scared! Is that what you wanted? An admission_?!”

Lena flinched as her new friend yelled at her. She reminded herself that Kara was acting out of intense panic. It all stemmed down to Alex’s life being threatened and if there was anything Lena understood, it was love for a sibling.

“I just wanted you to realize that everyone is drastically afraid of _something_ ,” Lena said, her voice at normal volume. “And it’s _okay_ to be afraid of being alone, but Kara.” She waited until the other woman met her gaze, her blue eyes swimming with unshed tears. “Kara, you do realize you’ll never be alone. This . . . Force-bond thing we have? You’ll never be alone as long as it’s there.”

 _As long as_ I  _am there._

The unspoken addition was made clear in the brief silence.

“The things I’ve done,” Kara said lowly, looking away, crossing her arms across her stomach as if she were sick, “you wouldn’t want anything to do with me if you even knew.”

Lena hummed. “Maybe.”

The admission made Kara flinch as if struck.

“But a ‘maybe’ is not a negative. And I’ve seen too many people fall off of pedestals to discredit you for something stemming from a troubled past.”

“You keep . . . keep doing _that.”_ Kara gestured non committedly.

“Doing what?”

“Giving me grace when I don’t deserve it. You are stepping wildly into unknown territory with the bravado of someone who knows, and I _know_ you don’t.” Kara took a few steps back from Lena, arms still crossed over her stomach, looking down so that her hair was a curtain around her face.

“You’re acting as if you would _rather_ be alone,” Lena observed.

“No! No, that’s not true!” The blonde woman protested. “It just . . . doesn’t make sense! _Nothing_ makes sense!”  
  
“It doesn’t _have_ to make sense sometimes!” Lena burst out.

Kara’s eyes widened at the explosion of frustration from the dark-haired woman. Lena’s fine jaw-line tensed as her teeth grounded together.

“Why can’t you see through all of the great evil you’ve done that you have potential for such great good as well?!” Lena’s voice rose in a gradual crescendo as she got more and more frustrated. “We’ve _all_ seen it! Eliza! Alex! _Hell_ , even Kal-El! _I’ve_ seen it!!”

Their eyes met and, for a second, time seemed to freeze. Then, crossing the room in three long strides, Kara raced forward and embraced Lena, who kissed back fervently, pulling her closer by the waist desperately, fingers clawing at the other woman’s robes.

It didn’t take long before their clothes were strewn about on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to address the Red K stuff next chapter, don't worry. Also, I told you, I'm expecting to be yelled at about this ending lol.
> 
> For those of you thinking this came out of nowhere: it did and it didn't. I'd had this particular arc and build and scene coming for a long time, and it's the first step in not just Supercorp but Kara coming to terms with the things she's decided to commit to. Lena's been bottling every emotion towards Kara since Kara had been placed in Resistance captivity, and Kara is at a point where, though closer to finding herself, is at a very emotionally confusing part of her journey. 
> 
> I'm both nervous and excited to see what you guys will say. 
> 
> Until next time ~


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> College is the bane of my existence atm.

**Hyperspace**

They’d had nine hours until they reached the last coordinates of Alex’s ship. Now, as Lena was staring up at the dark ceiling of Kara’s bunk, catching her breath and letting the sweat on her skin cool, she estimated that they’d used up more than a few of those.

_Teeth grazing her neck. Hands everywhere and nowhere at once. Kara’s breath on her face. Her mouth desperate . . ._

Lena flinched as Kara’s leg brushed hers and she could sense the way the other woman retreated before she felt her leg physically jerk away. This had been a mistake. It had been selfish in the grand scheme of things. Alex, Maggie, Barry, and Mon-El could _literally_ be on the brink of death, and they had spent the past few hours . . .

_A throaty moan that could’ve come from either of them. Or both. Lena’s fingernails digging into the back of Kara’s neck. Their noses brushing one another. A silhouette in the darkness of the room. A kiss . . ._

She closed her eyes against the images flashing through her mind, the memories fresh and searing themselves in her brain. Lena racked her brain for something else to take over her thoughts, but for the first time, her brilliant and over-thoughtful mind could only focus on a single topic: Kara Zor-El.

_Rolling them over. Holding Kara’s arms over her head. Trailing her mouth down a slim torso. Feeling hands clenching tightly in her hair. Pushing legs aside . . ._

Lena jerked up and swung her legs over the side of the small-ish bed, sitting up, head in hands. Maybe it was their Force connection that had made it so . . . powerful? No. That wasn’t the word. Sensuous. Furious. Full of every emotion she’d ever felt and yet there was something missing. Just like every other _distraction_ she’d indulged herself in.

“I . . .” Kara’s voice sounded from behind her. She heard and felt the covers shift as Kara moved. “I’m sorry. That . . . I shouldn’t have taken out my frustration like that.”

Lena scoffed. She stared at the wall across from her incredulously, throwing her hands out in a gesture of exasperation. “It’s not like it was completely one-sided.”

There was a long silence in which Lena struggled to regain control of her frantic brain. She, in one fell swoop, had ignored almost _everything_ Kal-El had been teaching both her and Kara. Impulse control. Overrun emotions.

“You’re right, you know,” Kara said softly into the dark. “Kamino. When I spared that soldier, I . . . I wasn’t thinking straight. Which,” she scoffed, “meant I was thinking properly for the first time in a long while.”

Lena turned her head a little, listening.

“I . . . I wanted to do the missions Rhea sent me on. I wasn’t lying about that. I . . . there are many things I’m not proud of.” Kara’s voice went low, and Lena could imagine her crossing her arms across herself. “But for a lot of those missions, I used rubrium to help me out.”

Lena’s mind went straight to the Luthor Corp research and development. She had spent much of her time there either helping or learning rather than administering and supervising, and she had learned her fair share of minerals and their properties. This substance, compound, mixture that Kara was speaking of . . . well, she didn’t remember it.

Lena turned towards Kara, squinting to see the silhouette of the other woman propped up against the wall. “‘Rubrium’?”

Kara hesitated. “It’s something that Rhea would give me that acted as an enhancer. It wasn’t adrenaline, it was . . . _fury_ in a liquid form.”

“It overloaded your system with anger?” Lena asked.

“Not exactly. It dulled everything else I felt or thought until all that was left was a need to destroy. It helped when Rhea assigned such missions.” Kara looked down. “It helped me believe that I needed to destroy. I didn’t just want it, but I _had_ to do it.”

Lena just hummed. It seemed she had been somewhat right in her assertions that Kara was not all lost. Even when she had been doing Rhea’s bidding, she had good within her. “I’m guessing Rhea made that herself.”

Kara just shrugged. “I never asked. I never had to. Especially after she turned me to the Dark Side.”

The air in the small compartment turned on, and Lena shivered as air blew on her skin. She crossed her arms across her chest self-consciously, though she knew Kara couldn’t see her in the dark.

In one fell swoop, the memories of the past few hours swept over her again, and all Lena wanted to do was get dressed and get some distance between her and her . . . ally. She could sense Kara’s wariness, her anger having been assuaged, but the worry for her sister still brewing inside of her.

“I —”

_“Lena? Hello? Are you there?!”_

A voice interrupted the ex-sith, sounding from the speakers and both Lena and Kara jumped, startled.

“Winn?” Lena asked aloud, hastily throwing on clothes, still dressing as she marched towards the cockpit. She pulled her shirt over her head, pulling it down as she pressed a button on the main console. The Luthor heiress was more than thankful for an excuse to busy herself.

She ignored the sound of footsteps from behind her.

_“Lena? Thank the stars! I lost your location and signal for a while, and I was afraid that something had happened —”_

“We’re . . .” Lena glanced at Kara as the woman stood awkwardly to the side, “we’re fine. Kara sensed something had happened to Alex so we’re headed to help out however we can.” She huffed. “And since this involves my brother directly, I am with her.”

 _“Right.”_ Winn sounded on edge. There was no telling how long he had been trying to reach them. _“As stated before, Barry and Maggie managed to create a duplicate of Lillian Luthor’s computer system. No doubt she has a suspicion that something isn’t right.”_

“Winn.” Lena didn’t have time for his nervous babbling.

_“Right. Well, we need to use it soon before she finds a cover for herself.”_

“Hold onto it for now. It’ll be a useful weapon for later, but we have people we need to rescue.”

_“Ok, I have a location on the Luthor fleet, but I have to warn you that . . . well, your ship is going to stand out quite a bit.”_

“It’s Alex.” Kara’s soft, but determined voice made Lena look up at her to see her jaw set. With or without her, Kara was planning on getting Alex back. And that, for now, was something Lena could focus her attention towards.

“Walk us through what we need to do, and we’ll do it,” Lena prompted Winn.

She heard something on his end clatter to the ground followed by a few curse words from the tech.

_“Yes! Sorry! Ok, based on my data analysis, the best point of entry . . .”_

* * *

 

**Luthor Destroyer — Space**

“You try one thing, _Jedi_ , and we’ll kill your friends. All of them,” a guard growled as he shoved Barry roughly into the small prison hold behind Maggie.

Barry rounded on them, lips pulled back in a snarl and the guard just scoffed before walking away. They knew Barry wouldn’t dare to try to break out. Not when Alex was on the line.

“Maggie,” Barry began, but stopped as he turned around, seeing his partner crouching down next to a form on the ground, propped up against the wall. She tenderly tilted the figure’s head. From the looks of it, he seemed unconscious.

“It’s Mon-El,” Maggie said grimly. She felt his pulse for a brief moment. “And he’s still alive, but barely hanging on.”

 _Mon-El?!_ Barry could barely recognize the man. It seemed as if the guards had wasted no time in beating the Empress’ son within an inch of his life in the week it took them to get through the Luthor fleet.

“Maggie, what are they doing to Alex?” Barry asked into the almost silent room. Everything echoed in the metal chamber, even the sound of water dripping from leaks in the ceiling. It seemed they weren’t in a high-maintenance part of the ship.

Maggie closed her eyes, releasing a heavy breath as her fingers grasped at the air beside her, clenching and unclenching as if she were itching to strangle Lex Luthor with her bare hands. Knowing her and how she had reacted upon laying eyes upon the bruised and battered Alex Danvers . . . well, Barry wouldn’t put the action past her.

“Luthor said something about carbonite.” Maggie’s voice hitched as if keeping a sob at bay.

“I . . . I’m sorry, I don’t know —”

“It’s used to preserve things for an extended period of time. Decades. Some people use it for simple fusions of metal and other parts. He’s,” Maggie let out a shaky breath, “he’s going to throw Alex into a chamber of it, and do who knows what with her.”

“Oh.” Barry shifted from one foot to the other, not knowing what to say.

“Well I’m not going to destroy her if that’s what you’re worried about,” a voice interjected into their conversation.

Maggie was at the barred door in the blink of an eye, snarling maliciously at Lex Luthor as the bald man regarded her with almost curiosity. Barry glared at the guards flanking him. If Alex weren’t on the line, all it would take was a _thought._

“Release her,” Maggie demanded. “Keep me, but release her.”

Lex put a finger to his chin as if deliberating the demand. “I . . . actually think I _won’t._ You see, there’s something almost indescribable when it comes to the relationship between siblings. Your Captain Danvers is probably the strongest link I have right now to getting Kara Zor-El _back_ into the hands of the Empress.”

“Look,” Barry interjected, “we’re not looking for trouble. We just . . . wanted to see the . . . fancy, high-tech, very . . . _clean_ interior of your ship designed by Luthor Corrrraaaaannnnd I’m going to stop now.” He turned from Maggie’s glare and went to check up on Mon-El’s weak and unconscious form.

“The truth is, if there’s anything I know about my sister, it’s that she won’t let Kara Zor-El out of her sight, especially after capturing her so . . . gloriously.” Lex leaned forward so that he was all but breathing on Maggie. “I couldn’t care _less_ what the Empress is to do with her ward. But my sister is my main prize, and she won’t just be coming to keep an eye on the Kryptonian, no.” Lex smirked. “She wants to find me as much as I do her.”

Maggie growled as Lex took a step back, straightening his suit. “She’s going to turn you inside out.”

Lex grimaced. “Such a vulgar picture, but I suppose not inaccurate. But your bravado is in vain.” He gave a signal to the guards and one of them shot Maggie with a blue laser that quickly overtook her entire body in a spasm of electricity.

As the ex-smuggler fell to the ground with a cry of pain, the guards unlocked the door and chained her to a pipe running vertically from floor to ceiling by the wall to the right of the door. Barry whirled around and used a Force push on them, causing both guards to fly backwards with shouts of alarm, slamming into the far wall with violent thuds.

Lex stood, unfazed. He tsked, drawing out a small pistol the size of his hand and shooting Barry with it before the Jedi could attack him. Barry fell to the ground with a grunt, his muscles briefly spasming as his eyes rolled back in his head.

“Interesting. I was afraid that it wouldn’t work,” Lex commented as he stepped closer to Barry, pushing his head to the side with his foot to expose his neck. Lex observed the faint green lines crawling up his veins, faintly glowing, though not as brilliantly as they had when Kara Zor-El had been exposed to the substance.

“Note to self,” Lex muttered. “Lasered Kryptonite needs further development.”

More guards hurried to the cell, pausing as they took in the source of all of the commotion: a woman groaning and chained to a pipe, a Jedi under the foot of their leader, and two unconscious co-workers.

“Get him,” Lex gestured towards the long lost Prince of Daxam. “He’s been sold with the Captain. Put this one,” he jostled the Jedi under his foot a little, “with R and D. They’ll love having a live test subject.”

“And . . . and her?”

Lex scrutinized Maggie Sawyer as she recovered from the massive voltage of electricity she’d been hit with. “Leave her here,” he decided. “The beginnings of a cookie trail for my sister.”

“Sir?”

Lex sighed. “My sister and Kara Zor-El are on their way if not already _here._ Our time for conflict will come, but it’s not now. Evacuate the ship. Leave her. We’re taking the rest of the fleet to Coruscant. It seems my family name may be in jeopardy.” He began to walk down the hall. “And prepare the Medusa. We may have a few Core planets to threaten.”

* * *

 

**Hyperspace**

Kara still hadn’t said a word to her besides what was necessary. There was a palpable tension in the ship, and it felt like anything Lena said or did would make whatever they were ignoring snap and break. And the last time their tension exploded, it had caused the mess they were currently in.

She chanced a glance at the Kryptonian and saw the woman putting her boots on, her brow furrowed. If Lena were anyone else, she probably would have been able to convince herself that Kara’s face was an indication of intense focus on the task at hand, but she knew better.

They had only known each other for a few months, and only recently had been on peaceful speaking terms for a short period of time, but Lena would like to think with the help of their Force-bond, that she knew Kara pretty well. Better than most, if not anyone.

Kara was beyond thinking too hard, she was trying to sort out more than a few things, teetering on the metaphorical fence between light and dark, good and evil. She had her fair share of demons and people who had wronged her, _destroyed_ her people and planet and culture. But she was also the same woman who would kill to save her adopted sister who she had personally tried to kill. She was the same woman who used to be a little girl who cried softly on her bed so that the same sister wouldn’t wake up, who’s eyes used to sparkle with happiness and love.

And, according to Kal-El, she was supposed to play a large part in the fate of the Empire — whether it continued or fell.

Lena wouldn’t wish that kind of pressure on anyone, and she already felt more than her share. After all, it was her duty to guide Kara, and that was proving to be no small feat. Guiding was far more than it entailed.

“What?”

Kara’s voice snapped Lena from her thoughts and her eyes focused in on confused blue eyes.

“What?” Lena asked.

“You were staring. And . . . I can sense your emotions,” Kara pointed out. She said it carefully, as if the almost playful jab would cause Lena to yell at her.

Lena gave a small smile, the corners of her mouth twitching just enough to let Kara know that things were okay between them. “I was just thinking about this war and everything Kal has told us we are destined to do.”

She used the Force on her saber, calling it to her. The young Luthor caught it neatly and clipped it on her belt. “I just . . . I was thinking that a break after all of this would be very appreciated.”

Kara let out a soft breath. “I can understand why Kal-El hid on his own planet for so long.”

Lena chuckled lightly, glad to feel the tension in the room dissipate a little. She turned her attention back to double checking their small inventory, and was so focused on making sure everything was in place on her person that she almost missed the faint sound of Winn’s voice from her periphery.

“What was that?” Lena said into their communicator.

_“I’ve got visual on a few transport ships leaving the Luthor fleet. Could be nothing, but if they have Maggie and Alex and the rest, then we’re in trouble.”_

Kara closed her eyes, breathing deeply, casting her senses out through the Force. Lena could feel the energy exuding from the Kryptonian and was reminded of how they’d first met, when she had first unlocked her access to the Force and Kara had been searching for her deliberately from across a few systems.

“You’re out of range of fire, correct?” Lena asked her friend, concerned.

She heard Winn scoff. _“Of course! I’m an analyst, not a soldier. Check your scanners. I should be in range of your radars.”_

Lena did as he suggested and saw that what he said was true. “This is the closest we’ve been in a couple of weeks, Mr. Schott,” she said wryly.

_“Aw. You missed me.”_

“Alex isn’t on the Luthors’ main destroyer, or any of the other ships in the fleet,” Kara said mildly panicked as she came out of her search.

“That doesn’t mean she wasn’t on the transport ships —”

“No, I mean I can’t sense her _anywhere_.” Kara’s eyes were wide, her breathing increased. Lena felt a sharp prick of genuine fear as if it were her own and she shook her head.

“You would’ve felt it if she died,” Lena placated her companion.  “She was in danger, and you knew that, but you would’ve known immediately if she was gone.” Lena hesitantly put a hand on Kara’s shoulder as the nervous woman ran her hands through her hair.

Kara nodded, her mouth set in a grim line. Her fear was still rampant.

“Is there _anyone_ on any of the ships that were sent out on the missions General Grant assigned us?” Lena asked her softly, ignoring whatever Winn was saying on the system.

Kara took a moment to break through her haze of panic, her eyes moving as she replayed something in her head before meeting Lena’s. The young Luthor felt her heart beat a little harder at the intense focus in the other woman’s eyes, accentuating the color in a way.

“Barry Allen. And Sawyer. Maggie Sawyer.”

Lena nodded and turned around, relaying the information to Winn.

_“You do realize this is a trap, right? Your brother is like, an evil genius. He knows how to lay traps, and this is definitely. A. Trap.”_

Lena let out a shaky breath. “I know. But we don’t leave soldiers behind.” She looked at Kara. “We don’t leave friends behind.”

 _“That’s what I like to hear! Even if there_ is _a huge chance of death,”_ Winn added under his breath.

“Kara, you know we have to rescue them. It’s our best chance at finding where Lex took Mon-El and Alex.” Lena searched the Kryptonian’s face, taking in the anger and despair as she fought to keep it from exploding.

“I know.” The response was short, but resolute.

“Do you know if Lex Luthor is on board, Winn?” Lena asked. Her brother never made the same mistake twice. If he were waiting for them, he’d be more than ready, which was a huge danger to them both, especially since they’d promised Kal-El they’d return to finish their training.

_“I don’t have any evidence that he’s there. Buuuuttt, I also don’t have any evidence that he’s not.”_

Lena swore under her breath. “Ok. We’re going in regardless. Where are they?”

_“You’re not going to like this, but they’re on two different ships.”_

Kara began pacing as Lena hung her head with a groan.

 _“Barry is on a research vessel near the center of the fleet. Maggie . . .”_ There was a pause as his speech was replaced by the sound of buttons being pressed. _“She’s on the main destroyer in their solitary prison units. If it’s a trap, they really want you in the center of everything.”_

Lena and Kara exchanged glances.

“I’ll get Barry,” Lena said before Kara could argue.

“Lex almost _killed_ me the last time we —“

“I know,” Lena interrupted. “But Winn said Barry was on a research vessel, Kara.” The Kryptonian’s name came out of her mouth with a surprising amount of tenderness, and the woman in question searched her face with just as much surprise as Lena felt. The young Luthor pushed the feeling aside as she continued. “If you go on that ship, you’re _guaranteed_ to die. It’ll be stocked with Kryptonite. You have a better chance fighting Lex.”

“He almost _killed_ Kal-El,” Kara argued.

“But he didn’t!” Lena’s voice went low and serious. “He didn’t, and if you don’t go, then he’s going to kill Alex, and I know that’s something both of us don’t want. I need you to trust me.”

Kara hesitated.

_“Guys? I don’t know when the fleet is moving next, but they just set coordinates to Coruscant.”_

“Fine,” Kara said begrudgingly.

Lena nodded once. “One hour. Then we meet back here.”

Kara nodded, her hand going to the mysterious saber she’d found on Dagobah. Lena made a mental note to ask about it.

“Ok, Winn. We’re about to pull out of hyperspace,” Lena said into the comms. “Tell us what to do.”

* * *

 

**Luthor Research Vessel BA-7862 — Deep Space**

**T-minus :45 till hyperdrive is activated**

Lena landed softly onto the tile, crouched and ready for any conflict that may be awaiting her. To her relief, the corridor was empty. She carefully used the Force on the air-grate, putting it back into place on the ceiling before pulling out her small blaster, sliding on a silencer Alex had put with the supplies when she’d been helping them stock up.

Always a woman for tactical weaponry, Alex Danvers was. Lena clenched her jaw at the memory of the woman who wasn’t as tough as she let others think she was. The woman had turned out to be a loyal friend, and a faithful sister. She had put the weight of the galaxy on her own shoulders and the Empire be _damned_ if Lena wasn’t going to make sure Alex lived a long, happy life she deserved.

“Which way?” Lena hissed into her comm, touching the small device in her ear.

_“Down the corridor, take a left. The main labs should be on your right. According to my data files, test subjects shouldn’t be too far from there. Read the signs. Scientists love labels.”_

Lena rolled her eyes at Winn’s humor. He definitely handled tense situations differently than most, but it was something she was thankful for. It kept her less tense herself.

She rounded the corner, peeking out before ducking her head back, heart racing.

She should’ve expected guards to be posted by the central lab’s doors. Lex wasn’t an idiot. Lena peeked again and took a quick inventory of their weapons and armour.

 _Great._ They were clearly professional.

She cast out her mind, trying to find Kara, checking briefly in on her. She felt an intense focus, and great determination with more than a little fear.

 _You’re not alone,_ Lena thought, hoping it was projected enough to the other woman.

“Ok, Luthor,” Lena muttered under her breath to herself, “you can do this. Older brothers were meant to be beaten.”

She dove out from behind the corner and shot the nearest guard in his knee. He collapsed with a cry of pain. Lena fired a shot towards the other guard’s hand, using the Force to guide the shot as it hit the alien’s hands, causing him to drop his gun. She dashed towards them, slamming the first man’s temple with the butt of her gun, effectively knocking him out. Then Lena grabbed the second guard by the lapel of his jacket and pushed him against the wall.

“How many guards are in there?” she growled.

“I-I-uh…”

“Guards. How many?” Lena didn’t have time for this.

Something in her eyes must have scared the guard because he hastily answered, trying to lean away from her. “Five! Just five! The lab techs are out preparing for hyperdrive and the research assistants are in another room supervising a test trial!”

He spoke so fast, his words almost blended together.

“Get me in the lab.”

He hesitated. “I can’t.”

Lena holstered her gun, waving her hand in front of his face, focusing on the energy around the man. “You _will_ let me into the lab.”

The guard seemed to be straining, veins popping up in his neck. “I . . . no, I can’t! Only lab techs, research assistants, designated security, and Lex Luthor can get in there!”

Lena bared her teeth in frustration, forcing the man’s palm onto the door scanner. A harsh beep and a red flash of light told her that he didn’t have access to it.

She looked at it, scrutinising what she could of the computer.

“You may be able to get in,” the guard offered weakly. Lena’s forearm against his neck pressed a little tighter as he spoke, and the alien gagged a bit. “It’s DNA based,” he choked out. “You and Lex . . . you . . . share DNA.”

Lena looked both ways down the hall and, when she saw no one was coming, looked back at the guard she’d been holding. “Thank you.”

She released the guard much to his relief before swinging her arm and nailing him in the jaw. Lena winced and shook her aching hand as the guard dropped to the floor beside his partner.

She put her hand on the scanner and was more than a little surprised when it let her in with a soft beep and a green flash of light. The door hissed open and she stepped inside, allowing it to close behind her.

As the man had said, the place was empty. Lena felt her senses dull as she stepped further into the room, recognising the effects of Kryptonite before she laid eyes on the first small green stone.

Lena pressed forward, hand on her saber. For long distance, she was more than thankful for her gun, but the way these tight halls of the lab were made, a saber may be a better choice. Or not. It really depended on how soon someone —

Lena instinctively leaned back as a hand punched the air where her head was, slamming into the wall. The material dented beneath the force of the hit, and the sound echoed loudly down the hall.

Great. Now they all knew she was coming.

The guard swung again, and Lena leaned back, taking his wrist and pushing it to the side. The momentum threw him off balance and she stepped aside, throwing him down behind her. With a well-placed kick, he was out, and she ran forwards, all sense of stealth lost as she heard footsteps racing her way.

Lena felt a blaster shot graze her shoulder, and she hissed in pain.

 _Use the Force, Lena._ Kal’s voice entered her head.

She mentally rolled her eyes. Before releasing a breath, focusing. She ignited her saber and saw the guards freeze briefly in fear before they fired more ferociously. She patiently dodged and blocked their shots before slamming them with a Force push that sent the rest of the guards into a wall and into each other. Lena stepped over the pile of unconscious guards and took the only turn she could, entering an area with glass-door units.

People and aliens of all kinds sat in their individual cells in matching white linens, in various states of madness or physical deformity.

Lena felt bile rising in the back of her throat as she pointedly ignored them, glad that Lex had made the units soundproof. His sickening experiments with Kryptonite had gone straight to live-person testing, Lena knew it innately. He needed to be stopped. So many innocent Force-sensitive people who had been forced to . . .

“Barry?” Lena asked aloud as she saw the familiar man sitting cross legged in a unit, head in his hands.

He didn’t respond and she remembered the units were sound proofed. Lena slammed her fist against the glass causing the Jedi to jump, startled. He looked at her in surprise as he registered her face.

Barry stood and laughed in wonder, hands on the glass as he looked down at her. “Lena?!” he mouthed, clearly more than happy to see her.

She smiled back, scanning the door for a way to open it. Barry waved, getting her attention, pointing towards the left edge.

Lena looked and didn’t see anything, frowning as she looked at the man. He began to mime something and she blinked before rolling her eyes. They didn’t have time for this.

With a quick flick of her wrist, her saber was ignited and cutting through the glass. Barry jumped back as the green blade sliced through the thick material as if it were nothing but air. They both watched as the large hunk Lena had carved out of it fell inwards at Barry’s feet.

“Woah. Cool saber,” Barry said, gesturing towards the weapon.

“We need to get out of here,” Lena hissed. “I don’t know how long the guards will stay knocked out, but they _will_ sound the alarms when they come to.”

Barry nodded. “Thanks, Lena, I feel _fine._ No, Lena, the evil scientists didn’t shove Kryptonite into my veins, and —“ he took in the glare she was aiming at him and chuckled nervously. “Yeah . . . we should probably . . . go.”

Lena handed him her pistol and they began jogging back the way she’d come. “Do you know where Lex was taking Alex and Mon-El?” She asked him over her shoulder, her voice echoing in the small, sterile hallway.

“How do you know Lex took Mon-El and Alex?” Barry asked.

“It’s a long story,” Lena huffed. They turned a corner and a door hissed open, revealing a large patrol of soldiers who froze when they saw Lena and the escaped prisoner.

Barry and Lena stared back before Barry gave a small wave before spinning on his heel and sprinting the other way, dragging Lena with him.

“Winn I’m going to need an ETA on our pickup!” Lena yelled into her comm. She really regretted letting Kara take the main vessel.

 _“Just a minute!”_ She heard gunfire and a whoop. _“Ok never mind. Thirty seconds!”_

Lena sprinted ahead of Barry, leading the way. They stepped into the hangar, not at all surprised by the alarms and gunfire that followed them as they made a beeline for the far side.

“Why don’t we just steal a ship?!” Barry shouted, firing back as they ran.

“We have a plan _Allen!”_ Lena responded, jumping and spinning in the air as she took out a handful of battle droids.

She saw a familiar ship pop up and begin firing into the hangar, causing everything to explode around them even more.

She swore as a massive laser zoomed over her head and hit the main doors behind her, causing the wall to collapse on itself, keeping any additional soldiers from coming in.

Lena blocked shot after shot with her saber, moving without thinking as she let her instincts and the Force guide her. She used the Force on a giant crate, throwing it into a group of soldiers.

“Is that _Winn?”_ Barry asked incredulously as they reached the edge of the hangar.

Lena could feel the coolness of space beyond the reach of the large ship’s atmospheric field. One miscalculation and they wouldn’t be jumping into the safety of Winn’s (actually it was Maggie’s) ship, but to their deaths in the deep expanse of space.

She let out a breath, time seeming to slow as she focused. “Winn, we’re ready.”

Barry faced her with wide eyes. “Um. _No_ . No we’re not! I am _not_ jumping onto that ship from here!”

_“Entry ramp down.”_

She saw said entry ramp descend as the ship hovered dangerously close to the side of the research vessel.

_“And you might want to hurry. We have a swarm of TIE fighters coming in, like, NOW.”_

“Sorry, Barry,” Lena shouted as a fuel tank nearby exploded in a ball of bright light and searing heat.

Before the man could answer she’d put her entire body into using the Force to launch him towards their getaway ship. She ignored his scream as he tumbled safely inside.

Lena blocked a few shots with her saber and took a few steps back, letting out a determined huff of air before sprinting as fast as she was able before launching herself off the hangar deck. She felt her toe hit the edge and her eyes widened.

She wasn’t going to make it.

Lena felt her body lean back and she desperately used the Force, trying to pull herself up when a pair of hands grabbed her shirt and pulled her in.

She didn’t hesitate in reaching for the button on the wall to raise the entry ramp, ducking as a shot narrowly missed her head. Lena’s heart was racing a million miles a minute and she was gasping for air, feeling sweat run down her back.

“I think . . . I think I owe you,” she managed.

Barry smiled awkwardly. “I’d say we’re pretty even. Considering you saved me from becoming someone’s experiment and Lex Luthor’s test dummy and I think you’re bleeding.” He pointed to Lena’s side.

She looked down with a frown to see that a blaster shot had gone through her side. Not quite grading but also not quite counting as a full _shot._ The adrenaline must have dulled the pain. She carefully touched the bleeding wound, her hand coming off sticky and red.

They both jolted as the ship zipped away, presumably to get Kara.

Lena gripped a nearby pile tightly, feeling light headed all of a sudden.

“Lena?” Barry asked slowly.

“I’m fine,” she said through gritted teeth. She applied pressure to her wound which, now that she’d noticed it, was starting to throb. “Get some salve and cloth. Then help me up to the _kriffing_ cockpit.”

Barry saluted. “They don’t call me the Flash for nothing.”

Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Lena frowned, casting out her senses. She had to check on Kara. She had to make sure the other woman was okay.

Her eyes flew open as she felt her heart race with secondhand fear.

Lena swore violently. Kara was with Lex.

* * *

 

**Luthor Destroyer — Space**

**T-minus :30 until hyperdrive**

The small form pacing the length of the small cell like an uneasy panther was hard to miss, despite their lack of direct contact.

“Sawyer?” Kara asked aloud, hesitantly, trying to keep her voice down.

This was already a stressful mission. Premise and goal aside, it was the first time she’d been out in the field with strict rules _not_ to kill and destroy. Things that had been absolutely understood, if not enforced, by Rhea. She’d taken out many guards on her way to Maggie’s cell, and had so far done so before anyone had a chance to trigger the alarms, but it had taken every ounce of self control not to slice them in half.

The figure stopped pacing, a silhouette in the darkened cell.

“Why are you here?” Maggie Sawyer asked, her voice fight and guarded.

Kara could feel her blatant distrust with ease and knew that this was only one out of billions of minds she’d have to change to prove that she didn’t want what Rhea did. Not anymore. Not when she’d learned . . . _so_ much. And met so many people who just . . . gave and believed and — Kara stopped herself before her mind went back to Lena Luthor. Especially the way she’d been when they’d —

“I’m here to rescue you,” Kara hissed, stepping closer to the bars. She reeled in her frustration. No, Maggie didn’t deserve her anger. It wasn’t Maggie’s fault Lex had taken Alex. And, if she was reading the woman right, and she had yet to sense someone through the Force incorrectly, Maggie was just as impatient and driven to get Alex back as she was.

Kara wasn’t expecting the solid jab to the nose. A quick upward motion with the heel of the palm, and the ex-sith was stumbling back with a bloody nose.

“What the _hell?!”_

Maggie glared at her with no remorse. “Where’s Lena? Why are you _really_ here?”

“I swear,” Kara said, tenderly prodding her nose as she wiped it with her robes. “I swear on Krypton itself, I’m here to rescue you. Lena’s getting Barry Allen.”

Maggie still stared at her, face stony.

Kara felt frustration bubbling to the surface. “I know I have a past that does everything _but_ prove my claim, but I _need_ your help.” She swallowed thickly, hoping her eyes would convey _something._ “Right now, all I want to do is get my sister back. And I need you for that.”

Maggie’s cold demeanour faltered and she slowly uncrossed her arms. She nodded briefly. “If I find out you’re lying, I’m going to kill you.”

“If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.” Kara’s words were simply a statement, but she meant every word.

The two women stared at each other before Kara ignited her blue saber and cut through the bars. With a quick Force push, they were collapsing in. Maggie caught them before they slammed into the ground and softly laid them on the ground.

Maggie made her way out of the cell, and Kara couldn’t help the way her eyes flickered over the woman’s busted lip and cut forehead, dried blood on the side of her face.

“You should see the other guy,” Maggie said dryly. “Ok, Little Danvers. Where to?”

Kara blanched at the nickname, her mind short-circuiting for a moment. _Danvers._ It had been a lifetime since anyone had referred to her by that name so plainly. Even with her voice filled with guarded trust, Maggie hadn’t even hesitated to . . .

She briefly wondered if Alex and Maggie has talked about her and what had been said. Maggie, as far as Kara knew, understood Alex the best and knew her most intimately.

Her heart jolted with shame. She should’ve been a better sister. Alex has spent _years_ searching for her. She had _pleaded_ with her. And only after she might be _dead_ is Kara realising that her sister may be the most important person in the galaxy to her.

She’d guided her through panic attacks a nightmares. She was the first person to make Kara laugh after coming to on Midvale. The first one to throw a punch in her defense. The first to tell Kara she loved her.

“Hey. Danvers.” Maggie snapped her fingers in front of Kara’s face and the Kryptonian blinked, pulling her head away from Maggie’s hand.

“Zor-El,” Kara immediately corrected.

Maggie snorted. “Not according to your sister.”

Kara didn’t know what to say to that. “I . . . starboard hangar. Supply dropoff area. Winn Schott is getting us.”

Maggie raised her eyebrows. “Winn. Winn is flying _my_ ship.”

Kara rolled her eyes and began heading back the way she’d come, her saber held by her side, the thrumming hum a comfort to her tense self.

“How’d you know where to find me?” Maggie asked, following Kara’s long strides.

“The Force,” Kara responded curtly. She tapped the communicator in her ear. “Winn, we’re heading to the rendezvous point.”

She heard the furious movement of fingers on buttons.

_“Great. Give me a minute here. Lena and Barry are in some deep trouble at the moment.”_

She heard what sounded like the ship’s guns firing. “Winn —“

_“Go and I’ll meet you there!”_

Then he signed off, probably to say something on Lena’s end. Not for the first time, Kara was struck with the brief realisation that Winn was one of the very few people who hadn’t been faxed by her addition to their team. He hadn’t shown any distrust or hate or even fear.

It was . . . odd. But not unwelcome.

Kara stopped and pulled Maggie with her against the wall as a patrol of guards passed them. She quickly crossed the intersection and led them to where she knew they were supposed to go.

She cast her mind out, a skill that came as easily to her as breathing and felt Lena as if the woman were right next to her. There was an immense amount of stress and fear, but also great focus. She could almost feel fiery heat on her face second-hand. Lena was under heavy fire, but she’d be ok. She had to be.

“You know,” Maggie finally said just loud enough for Kara to hear her, breaking her from her thoughts. “It’s odd to me that Lex Luthor would leave his ship so . . . open.”

_“Kriff.”_

They were surrounded before Kara could turn around.

She lifted her chin, unimpressed, at the bald man in the purple suit. The pink scar down his eye making his face less business-appropriate and more . . . sinister. As if his inside character was finally out for the world to see. The eye in question was milky, clearly of no use to him anymore. And to think: that had been done by his sister.

“New saber, I see,” Lex commented casually, tilting his head towards Kara’s weapon.

She heard Maggie growl from behind her.

“Where’s Alex Danvers?” Kara asked in a low voice.

Lex just smiled, his hands in his pockets casually. “You couldn’t find her yourself? I’ve heard Kryptonians can find people through the Force like a hound following a blood trail.”

Kara let out a low growl.

“Careful,” Maggie muttered in warning. She knew that Kal-El was still alive, and she knew that Kara and Lena had been training with him on Dagobah. Maybe it was out of selfless concern, or she was being selfish in regards to her safety, but Kara recognised the word as the warning it was meant to be: she couldn’t let her anger overtake her.

She had changed.

She _was_ changing.

Lex’s eyebrows shot up. _“Oh._ You can’t sense her.” His mouth did a quick shrugging motion. “That’s good to know.”

Maggie shouldered her way next to Kara, igniting the way the soldier’s guns followed her. They both could be gone in an instant if Lex wished.

“Cut the _shit,_ Luthor,” she snarled. “Where is she? What did you do with her? I swear if you laid a _finger_ on her I’ll —“

Lex laughed, cutting her off. “What would _I_ want with a rebel captain? No, she’s in . . . one piece. As far as I know anyway. She and the Daxamite prince sold for quite the sum. Enough to get the hyperdrive thrusters back in order.”

All Kara heard was ‘one piece’ and something in her snapped. Like a blast of energy, everyone around them except for her and Maggie were blasted backwards with immense force. She heard bones crack and people groan, but all she was focused on was the man groaning and laughing as he slowly rolled over and stood up from where he’d been thrown down the hall.

She was by him in an instant, whether she ran or flew, it didn’t matter. She threw him against the wall, holding him by his shoulders her saber humming by his head, illuminating both of their faces in blue light.

 _“Where. Is. Alex?”_ she snarled.

Lex’s good eye flashed with fear before he regained his composure. He tsked. “Temper.”

Then Kara felt something slide into her side. She stumbled back with a gasp of pain, dropping her saber and shakily grabbing the long, green shard sticking from her person.

“Kara!” Maggie’s voice sounded from far off.

Kara felt sick. She felt her senses fading as the Force was muffled around her, her heart beating faster in fear as she felt what she’d come to recognize only as _Lena_ fade away. Then came the pain, slowly, crawling through the rest of her body from her wound.

Like fire and stingers and knives all blasting through her veins . . .

Kara’s vision began to swim and she fell to her knees. She heard Lex laugh and the Kryptonian growled, glaring up at him, ignoring the pain and dizziness that came with the motion.

He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her close so he could lean down and whisper in her ear. “Your beloved captain is going to die _just_ like your cousin: _alone._ ”

She heard a shout and barely registered Maggie Sawyer tackling Lex to the ground, assaulting him with a barrage of punches.

_You’re stronger than this, Kara._

Kal’s voice was muffled. Like she was underwater. She could barely hear him. She fell forward, bracing herself with one arm, the other still clutching the shard of Kryptonite in her side. She was sweating. Or crying. She didn’t know which. Just that she hurt. She was scared. She was angry. And she was _tired._

 _The galaxy needs you,_ Kal urged. _Krypton needs its daughter. Rao needs his light._

Kara looked up, her eyes focusing on her saber, remembering the warmth in her hands, the way it seemed to talk to her. As if it . . . knew her.

 _Kara. Kara hang on. If not for me, then for Alex. I’m almost there —_ We _are almost there._

The sound of Lena’s voice was like a splash of cool water on her system. Her hand on the ground trembled as she tensed her hand and she fought the pain as she sat up.

 _Alex needs you,_ Lena repeated.

Kara let out a shout as she ripped the shard from her person and threw it far away from her. She clutched the wound as it began to gush blood and held out her hand, calling her saber to her. She clipped it to her belt and stumbled to her feet, her vision going white.

“ _LEX LUTHOR_!!” Kara bellowed, a perfect imitation of her former sith self.

Lex froze from where he was about to choke Maggie on the ground. Kara held a hand out in front of her, the other shakily applying pressure to her wound. Lex’s eyes bulged as his windpipe got cut off.

Kara lifted him from Maggie, suspending him in the air as she stumbled forward, leaning heavily against the wall, watching as he frantically began clawing at his throat though there was nothing there.

“Where. Is. _Alex._ ”

“Kara —”

Kara ignored Maggie’s voice, bringing Lex closer to her, his toes scraping the tile of the hall as his eyes began to go bloodshot. She’d seen this happen to many, _many_ different people. She knew how they faded out.

This man had done more than taken her sister when she had just begun getting her back. He had almost killed her cousin. He was trying to eliminate the galaxy of _everyone_ who was Force-sensitive. He had ended an entire _planet_. He had threatened to do much more.

“Kara, you know this isn’t right.”

Kara’s head snapped to the side to see Lena staring at her, her eyes pleading, brimming with unshed tears. The Kryptonian froze, not knowing what to do at the sight.

“He deserves to die,” she growled, looking up at Lex who was now, through his fear, eyeing her as if she had lost her mind. Which, to him, she probably had. If he hadn’t been obscuring her view, she was sure Maggie was having similar thoughts.

Lena shook her head. “I know. I know he does, but . . . he’s my _brother._ You have to understand. You of all people _must_ understand.”

Kara felt her hand shake and Lex was lowered to the ground, the pressure lightened a bit on his throat. He began taking in desperate, raspy breaths.

“He . . . he _killed_ my cousin. He’s trying to kill my _family!_ ” Kara yelled, ignoring the pain in her side and the dizziness settling in.

Lena focused on her, concerned. “Kara, the time will come, but you’re hurt and if you don’t get help, you will _die._ ”

Kara, in a moment of stubborness tightened her grip on Lex’s throat and the man let out a loud, scary gagging noise before his eyes rolled back in his head. Kara paused, remembering Kal and their conversation when she’d first arrived on Dagobah. The kindness of Eliza Danvers. Alex’s pursuit. Winn’s easiness. _Lena._

With a flick of her wrist, Lex’s unconscious form slid down the hall on the smooth tile, taking a few of his unconscious men with him.

Maggie stared at Kara with wide eyes, fear and uncertainty filling them. As if she were approaching a wild animal, she slowly came closer to Kara, silently taking Kara’s good arm and throwing it over her shoulder. Maggie wrapped a careful arm around Kara’s middle and, supporting the ex-sith, began to slowly walk forwards.

Kara’s vision began to go black at the edges and she felt her head dropping. She fought the heaviness, seeing Lena in the corner of her vision.

“You shouldn’t care . . . if I die or . . . or not,” she slurred angrily.

Lena looked at her with an unreadable expression. “I . . . I care.” She hesitated. “Believe it or not, we’re kind of a part of each other now,” she said softly.

Kara didn’t respond as Maggie spoke, clearly thinking Kara was talking to her.

“Listen, Little Danvers, you may be the most feared woman in the galaxy behind the demon Empress herself, but you’re also the sister of the love of my life, and if she has faith in you, then I have to as well.” Maggie grunted as she adjusted Kara. “Kriff, you’re heavy. You’re also far better a person than you realize,” she added.

Kara saw Lena begin to fade as she ended their connection.

“She’s right, you know,” Lena’s soft voice said before it, too, was gone.

Kara felt Maggie’s fingers in her ear before she was jostled a bit as Maggie put her communicator in her own ear. “Winn? Kara’s hurt. Badly.”

There was a pause as Maggie listened to Winn’s response before her mouth went into a thin line. “Come on, Danvers. We gotta save your sister. _Then_ you’re free to die on me.”

Kara was trying to think of a witty retort, but all her mind could do was replay her interaction with Lex Luthor. She could have killed him. Taken him prisoner. _Something_. But she had also messed it up. Messed everything up.

Her head lulled again and she struggled to put one foot in front of the other.

Everyone kept telling her she had more good in her than she realized.

So why didn’t she believe them?

She saw a slim, hazy figure with soft dark hair rushing towards her, a giant, familiar ship behind her . . . but it was all so fuzzy . . . nothing was in focus . . .

Then Kara Zor-El collapsed, welcoming the darkness that followed.

* * *

 

**Tatooine — Tatoo System**

**6 months Later**

The court was silent as the figure strode into the hall, black robes, lightsaber clearly clipped on their belt. Their boots scuffed the sand with their confident strides, ignoring the gazes cast upon them as everyone watched their movements with awe.

The power radiating off of them was natural. It needed no further explanation.

The Jedi cast a glance towards the shirtless Daxamite chained to the hutt’s chair before bowing low to the crime lord.

“Kossa.” The Force-user spoke calmly. Clearly.

The hutt chuckled. “You are bold to stride into my place as if it were your own, Jedi. Introduce yourself to the court.”

The figure stood tall and proud, dropping the hood and releasing long blonde locks. Blue eyes stared unwavering at the hutt.

“My name is Kara Zor-El, daughter of Krypton, last heir to ways of my people, and sworn enemy of the Empire. I am a Jedi for the Rebel Alliance, and _you,_ ” she squared her shoulders, “have my sister.”

* * *

 

**End of Part II**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting to the penultimate moment, and then it's falling action from there on out.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a pain to write. I hate writer's block and I hate finals season. Come summer break, updates will be more reliable lol.
> 
> BUT you got a REALLY long chapter out of it.
> 
> IMPORTANT: Changed the gap to 6 months. During my star wars research I realized Han had been frozen for a year. Thankfully this extended time gave me a leap in developing everyone much better and faster than having filler chapters.

**Part III**

* * *

 

**Tatooine — Tatoo System**

**3 days post-trade**

Mon-El’s head felt like it was about to explode. The pounding in his temples thrummed a steady rhythm, and the bruises he knew covering his body left his skin a collage of odd colors. In short, his entire body ached, but that didn’t stop him from looking up at the bounty hunter who had been nursing him into something resembling respectable health.

“You wouldn’t happen to know where the bathroom is in this place, would you? It’s been _hours_ since I last went.” Mon-El went for the most charming smile he could muster, flashing his teeth brightly, despite his hands being tied behind him.

The bounty hunter, a dark skinned man with a serious face, glanced up at the Daxamite before going back to polishing his rifle.

“Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot. I mean,” Mon-El let out a chuckle, “it’s not like I was actually _conscious_ for most of it.”

There was more silence.

“I like your beard.” Mon-El said with a serious face, leaning forwards a little as if he were sharing a secret with the other man. “I was thinking of growing mine out. I don’t have much, but _I_ think it still looks nice —”

The bounty hunter slammed his rifle part down on the table, making the Daxamite prince jump in surprise. “Will you _stop_ talking?! For _once_! I almost wish you were still unconscious!”

Mon-El blinked. “Well that’s not nice.” He rolled his head to the side to look at Alex’s carbonite frozen block. He looked back at the bounty hunter with raised eyebrows. “I think she agrees.”

The bounty hunter was in Mon-El’s face in a flash, a sharp knife out, the tip against the man’s adam’s apple. The prince leaned back, eyes wide, sitting stock still.

“If Kossa hadn’t offered me such a good price for your godforsaken mug, I would kill you right now.”

Mon-El smirked. So far, he was getting under the man’s skin. That was good. Irritated men made mistakes. “Look, man, I’ve been tied up for a week or so, I don’t know where we’re headed, and if I’m completely honest, I’m seriously considering the pros and cons of peeing right here and right now.”

The bounty hunter’s jaw clenched and unclenched as the blade dig into the first couple of layers of skin. Mon-El wouldn’t be surprised if there was a small bead of blood making its way down his neck at the moment.

“You may be the Prince of an entire planet,” Mon-El couldn’t help the way his eyes widened in surprise that these people knew who he was, “but that planet is _dead_. You’re going to Kossa the Hutt, and you’re going to _wish_ I’d have killed you.”

Something beeped from the table where the hunter has been working and the man’s dark eyes scanned Mon-El’s a threat clear in his eyes. He stood up and flipped his knife, sheathing it before striding over to the table and picking up a small communicator.

Mon-El released the breath he’d been holding and followed the man’s path with a glare. He’d been so close to getting . . . _something._ The Daxamite glanced over at Alex, the long, silver rectangular block with her form horrifically preserved in a moment of fear and pain cast in sharp shadows from the low lighting of the room.

If he had to guess, based on the scenery and insufferable heat, they were on a desert planet. The hunter had mentioned a Hutt. A crime lord. Mon-El wasn’t an idiot. All of these clues put together meant that the probability of him being on Tatooine was pretty high.

He frowned to himself as he continued to watch the bounty hunter walking around his small area.

Desert planets were the worst.

The hunter placed his communicator down on the table and looked at Mon-El with a terrifying smirk. It was the look of a man who knew he had won.

“Well, it’s our lucky day,” the man said, spinning his chair around to face Mon-El before sitting down on it. “I get an extra fifteen hundred credits and you want to know why?”

Mon-El glared at the man as he learned forward so that his rancid breath was in the Daxamite’s face.

“Because your mother has booked a visit.” The bounty hunter sat up, taking in Mon-El’s brief flash of surprise. “Shame she didn’t buy you off me. But she had no concern for matching the Hutt’s price. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she didn’t want you at all, _your Highness.”_

Mon-El scoffed. “That’s no surprise, especially after where she sent me the past decade. She barely raised me. She’s not my mother.”

“Well that’s no way to speak of your Empress, then, is it?” a new, feminine, and all too familiar voice came from the entrance of the room.

Mon-El couldn’t help the way his lip curled at the sight of Rhea standing with the bright Tatooine sun shining in from behind her, making her a silhouette. He caught a glimpse of Imperial guards posted outside the door.

“That’ll be all, Hunter,” the Empress said to the bounty hunter. “That was the deal wasn’t it? Fifteen hundred credits for a conversation with my _son.”_

Mon-El didn’t miss the way she spat the word. If her face wasn’t dressed in shadow he was positive she’d be trying to kill her with her eyes. Like Kara Zor-El and her laser-vision. He was glad Rhea didn’t have that — he liked living.

The bounty hunter bowed. “I’ll be around town if you need me.”

Rhea allowed him to walk around her and out, the thick cloth hanging in front of the doorway swishing behind him until they obscured most of the bright light from outside. Rhea stepped closer, picking up a piece of the dismantled rifle the bounty hunter had been cleaning daintily as if it were covered in grime.

“Why are you here?” Mon-El growled.

“That’s no way to speak to me, Mon-El. Men have died for less.” The threat wasn’t even meant to be hidden.

“You sent me off for _years_ on the pretense of peace and Imperial expansion, but you sent me and my crew out there to get rid of us.” Mon-El’s voice was cold. “We were all but exiles.”

“You never had the stomach for unification —“

“Is that what we’re calling it?” Mon-El asked in disbelief. “It’s not ‘unification’, it’s _war_! It’s killing senselessly until you get what you want!”

Rhea lifted her chin. “If there’s a goal, I fail to see how it’s ‘senseless’.”

Mon-El looked away, disgusted.

Rhea drew closer, crouching in front of him and taking his chin in her hand, turning his face so she could study him. She tilted his face at different angles in the light, her eyes scrutinising. “They really did a number on you. You must’ve put up one hell of a fight.”

Mon-El didn’t give her the satisfaction of answering.

“I came so that I could see for myself if it was really you. The galaxy has all but forgotten your name.”

He scoffed in response.

“And then I find you’ve joined the _Resistance?_ ” She tsked, releasing his face and standing to gracefully sit down on the chair that had previously been occupied by the bounty hunter. “I couldn’t believe it. And then Lex Luthor of all people took your blood for his pointless science and found Daxamite DNA. Imagine my surprise when I get a call from him telling me that my long-lost offspring was being sold to the Hutts.”

“Why do you care?” Mon-El snapped. “You’ve never cared.”

Rhea raised an eyebrow. “Oh, that’s not true. You were to be the heir of my Empire. I cared.”

“But something changed,” Mon-El stated.

Rhea tilted her head a bit. “My vision got broader. I don’t need an heir to rule the Empire when the Empire will rule itself. With the extermination of the rebels and the Jedi comes a unification of ideals and vision. There will be no need for a central figurehead when there could be a true council. Not like the Old Republic — but one of true unity. Representation. And _action.”_

Mon-El swallowed. That explained why she had no qualms destroying entire worlds. Her and Lex Luthor. Her vision, while impractical, drove her, and it made Mon-El sick.

“What do you want?” Mon-El snarled, asking her again.

“I want information on the Resistance. I want information on their newest hero, Lena Luthor, and I want information on Kara Zor-El.” Rhea’s tone was short, cold, straight to the point.

Mon-El laughed. “Yeah, I’m not doing that.”

Rhea stood and walked over to Alex Danvers’ carbonite form, running her hands down the woman’s face frozen in an immortal scream. Her eyes flickered to the control board that monitored Alex’s systems.

“Such a beautiful face. It’s a shame she’s on the wrong side of this war, don’t you think?” Rhea’s tone was casual, but Mon-El could hear the patronising intent in it. “I’ve heard a lot about Captain Danvers. She’s been a real thorn in Chancellor Luthor’s side.”

Mon-El scoffed. “Lillian never was one for getting her hands dirty. Alex, though, she’s braver than the both of you put together.”

Rhea’s head snapped towards him at the snarl in his voice.

“I would watch your tone, _son._ You have _no_ power here.”

Mon-El kept his mouth shut, but did nothing to hide his growing hatred from his eyes.

“Besides,” Rhea continued coolly, “the Medusa is our greatest weapon. It’s our endgame. Your refusal to speak may cost you _worlds_ if you do not cooperate.”

Mon-El’s heart skipped a beat as he realized that neither Lex Luthor nor his mother had realised that they had successfully switched the isotope. Yet.  Lex had ran a preliminary check but that wouldn’t reveal the change. He had something on them. For now.

“My refusal to be your little pet _spy_ shows that I’ve moved on from the blind son I once was,” Mon-El spat back. “You desire order but you’re only bringing death. You say you want peace but all you’re bringing is chaos. You’re not an Empress — you’re a _tyrant_.”

Rhea’s slap reverberated in the small room, and Mon-El’s head turned with the force of it. He blinked in shock, his face stinging. He wouldn’t be surprised if there was some bruising there later.

“If it weren’t a mercy in the face of your current sentence, I would’ve killed you _myself,”_ Rhea hissed.

She spun on her heel, barking orders at her guards as she approached the doorway. “I once thought you could be great. I now see you are nothing but a foolish boy with something to prove. I will find the rebels myself,” she lifted her chin, her eyes showing him nothing but scorn, “and I will make sure they know just how foolish you were when they meet you in death.”

Mon-El has nothing to say as he watched her walk out. The Daxamite hung his head, his jaw working furiously as he told himself that he had proven himself time and time again.

And yet . . . he was ashamed of the tear that made its way out of the corner of his eye.

He and Kara Zor-El were in the same boat, being two of the last of their entire kind. And yet . . . he would much prefer being alone than have his last living relative denounce him and abandon him to choose and live for himself.

* * *

  **Tatooine — Tatoo System**

**Six months post-Sawyer/Allen rescue**

Maggie could barely breathe behind the mask Winn had found for her to wear. It was stuffy, the planet was insufferably hot, and the leather she wore around her smelled an awful lot like musty mildew. Not to mention it trapped every ounce of heat within her clothing.

She approached the great metal doors with caution, her heart beating much faster than normal, and she eyed the droid Winn had sent with her nervously. It was a small thing, and surprisingly quiet for something of Winn’s handiwork, but she knew he was watching her every move all the same. The tech was too smart to send her with a droid that lacked any capacity to protect her in tough situations.

She heard the loud sound of multiple guns moving loudly in hands, and knew it was a purposeful move. She’d encountered Hutts before. They were nothing if not paranoid. And greedy. And funny smelling.

She made no move to address them besides looking up at the guards lining the top of the giant door, knowing the mast gave her an impassive look.

Not for the first time since landing on Tatooine, she wished for an ear communicator. But, alas, the Hutts were smarter than that. They screened for far less detectable things than ear-pieces.

The ground below her rumbled as the massive metallic doors slid open, the guards remaining impassive behind their sand scarves — the thick cloths obscuring the lower half of their faces to protect them from inhaling wayward sand.

She knew she looked just as such.

Maggie made her way forwards through the doorway into the enormous cavern. The temperature was surprisingly cool within, which made sense. It was a wonder why so many people engaged with and stayed in the massive courts and rings of the Hutts and then she was reminded of their dwellings on the insufferably hot Tatooine.

Beyond the benefits of having a Hutt behind you, she didn’t see the appeal. She had once successfully conned a Hutt out of thirty thousand credits — until the Hutt had found out and she had spent the next couple of years slowly paying them back while also plotting their ultimate doom.

The Resistance had saved her during a chance encounter with a couple of bounty hunters, some rogue smugglers, an ex-lover of sorts, and some rotten fruit.

It was _definitely_ a chance encounter. And it allowed her to meet Alex and find something worth fighting for: the good of the galaxy.

And it was for Alex that she was doing this.

Maggie ignored the intensity of her heartbeat, the way she could feel her pulse throughout her entire body, and took a deep breath as she fought to maintain a steady, calm stride.

The cavern made everything sound like it was echoing far too loudly but all she could think about was Alex.

It wasn’t long before she heard the sound of music, laughter, and chatter met by the occasional sound of metal . . . like chains?

She made to turn the corner but a tall, robed figure out a hand on her shoulder to keep her from moving forwards.

Maggie glared up at the alien, wishing he could see the fire in her eyes behind her oddly shaped mask.

“You cannot enter until you’ve been cleared by Kossa himself.” The alien’s voice was scratchy, deep, and almost gravelly.

“Kossa invited me here,” Maggie snapped, her voice coming through her mask monotonous and robotic, but the sharpness of the words was still pretty clear.

“What is your business?” As he spoke, a couple of guards from the shadows of the cavern made their way around her. Though at a distance, Maggie knew that if she decided to turn and run, she was going absolutely nowhere.

“A business deal. For the Captain.” She jerked her head towards the main court area with false bravado. If Winn’s estimates to Alex’s location were wrong, she had just given herself away.

The guard hummed. “Your offer must’ve been impressive if Kossa asks for you here. I will speak to him. Wait here.”

He turned and disappeared into the large room. Maggie stood awkwardly where he’d left he, knowing fully that the other guards were watching her every move. Thankfully, they couldn’t read her face because of the mask, but that didn’t assuage her anxieties at all.

She watched her droieander off somewhere, hopefully to mingle with and disappear amongst the crowd. Gather data. Maybe be a good backup if they got locked in some cell somewhere.

Maggie’s fingers twitched. She was itching to get to Alex again. To hold her. To tell her it was okay, that they’d been searching for her.

It had been later than she’d wanted, but it had been necessary. Despite her almost clawing her way out of the ship in deep space and a few attempts at stealing the emergency pod, Maggie knew their patience was going to pay off. Lena Luthor herself had created a plan, and not just one, but a backup and then a backup for that.

Nursing Kara back to health had slowed them down, but during their time . . . Maggie had begun her initial perception of Kara as this: that she was Alex’s sister and Alex loved Kara more than she loved herself. Thus, it was Maggie’s duty to make sure Kara remained safe. But over the past couple of weeks, Kara had been more than the evil sith who just _happened_ to be the subject of her lover’s drive and passion, but she was a lost young woman who desired above all else to make her wrongs right. And Maggie understood a thing or two about that.

Kara was a wild card and an unknown variable, but she was quickly becoming someone Maggie would protect fully. Much like Lena.

Maggie frowned to herself. She had noticed something odd between them, and the ex-smuggler made a mental note to ask Lena about it next chance she got.

The sound of footsteps approaching from the court got her attention.

The guard bowed and swept his arm towards the court, indicating Maggie to lead the way while he escorted her.

Stepping into the light of the court was bizarre, and jarring to say the least. In fact, if Maggie hadn’t had previous experience with the partying ways and habits of the Hutts, then she would’ve been surprised, even appalled. Her eyes scanned the room as she kept her head still, giving off the impression of a put-together bounty hunter.

As her escort led her towards the center of the room, Maggie felt her heart skip a beat and her eyes widen. For once, she was glad she had the mask on. There, with a woman on his lap and another draped over his shoulder, breasts pointedly being pushed against his head, was the lost Prince of Daxam. Shirtless, with chains on his wrists, minimal coverage over his privates, and a false smile on his face — Mon-El looked miserable.

It seemed he was the patrons’ entertainment and plaything, and despite his face being completely clear of any bruises or blemishes, she could see scarring peeking out from his shoulder blade. Kossa had had Mon-El beaten for resisting, and he was stuck being . . . Maggie fought the urge to shove the alien woman off of the Daxamite’s person and rush out of there with him.

But he was only one half of the target, and Kara would have her head if she came out without her adopted sister. Lena wouldn’t be too happy with her either. But Lena wasn’t on this mission right now, which was both good and bad for Maggie.

Good because she couldn’t get onto Maggie, and bad because, well. She was the only person who could keep Kara in check when the ex-sith’s anger got out of hand.

Patching Kara up hadn’t been an easy task and forcing her to allow herself to heal had been just as difficult.

“I have been expecting you,” the Hutt said slowly, his gravelly voice carrying out over the conversation, laughter, and music.

Maggie hated how the room got quiet as they all observed her.

“I had to give you an offer you couldn’t refuse,” her robotic voice came through her mask.

Kossa chuckled lowly. “Indeed.” He waved a stubby arm and some aliens scrambled around, presumably to do something that had been designated earlier. He said something in Huttese, making Maggie roll her eyes as what she assumed to be his personal assistant translated for him. “Many hunters have offered a fair price, but you . . . you’re different.”

Maggie hated how smug the hutt looked. She knew he thought he had every card in his hands. If Winn and Kara’s plan worked, he would soon see who was laughing. Hutts knew the common tongue just as well as anyone else, yet they refused to speak in it. Her fingers were itching to get a hold of her gun and just —

“I have the credits.” She pulled out a small, metal orb and pressed a button on the side, sending up a projection that gave proof of the authenticity of the credits. The truth was, Winn was a genius and had managed to make a perfect double. They didn’t, in fact, have the credits, and the number would only ‘transfer’ for a total of twelve hours before disappearing. If Kossa gave her Alex. “But,” she continued, “I do not see the rebel captain I was promised to have.”

Kossa let out a low laugh. It almost sounded hearty. He patted his large, slimy stomach with his small hands and his giant mouth hung open in a gaping smile. “The captain is safe,” his translator answered. He paused as the hutt said something else, causing the court to burst into laughter. “But she is very _enticing_ , is she not?”

Maggie’s jaw worked furiously as she fought to keep her hands still. She couldn’t give herself away by something as simple as clenching her fists.

“She is a beautiful prize, and regalia of the Resistance are often quite valuable.” The translator smirked knowingly at Maggie as the hutt spoke in huttese. “Add three thousand credits to your offer, and I will give her and her possessions to you.”

Maggie fought a growl building in her chest. “That wasn’t the deal.”

Kossa’s sluggish mouth pulled back smugly. “You don’t have room to make deals right now.”

The court roared with laughter and Maggie took a deep breath. Winn’s program matched any number entered in. The issue was, the larger the total, the shorter the time the ‘credits’ appeared in the recipient’s account.

“Three thousand?” Maggie made sure to put scorn in her voice. “I have yet to see proof that you actually have the captain, and I like my personal collection to be . . . _genuine_.” She turned her head, making a show of scanning the room, before pointedly staring at Mon-El who was trying to see what was happening despite the women touching his face and running their hands over his body. “Five thousand more,” she said aloud, deciding that it was worth it if she could get out of there, “and I take the Daxamite as collateral.”

Kossa hummed, interested. His translator whispered furiously into his ear and the hutt hummed again, chuckling lowly. “Your confidence is foolishness. You have yet to see the prize in full.”

His implied statement wasn’t missed, but Maggie couldn’t show herself as weak. “You wouldn’t have set a price so high for it only to be a con,” she replied calmly. “You’re renown for your collection of rebel prizes. It would tarnish your reputation to have yet another piece for sale but not actually have it.”

Kossa let out a boisterous laugh, his entire body bouncing with it. Maggie fought the urge to gag.

“Very well,” the translator said over Kossa’s huttese.

Kossa waved a stubby arm in a command and the entire court looked over to the right while Kossa and the aliens on his stage looked left from where they sat.

A large black curtain Maggie had missed earlier was pulled back and there, in a mocking spotlight, was Alex Danvers. Her face was frozen in a horrific scream, her hands up as if to block her face. Maggie took in the sight, her heart racing as she searched Alex’s face for any signs of harm, her eyes flickering down to the small control board flickering with lights marking the woman’s system-status.

“And that is the same Captain Danvers who serves under General Grant?” Maggie fought to keep her voice steady, thankful that her helmet modulated it.

Kossa only chuckled.

Maggie had played these games before. She knew what jumping straight into a deal could do or look like, and so, she trusted her best judgement despite desperately wanting to save her lover and her friend. She glanced at Mon-El who had been staring at her wearily from where he was braving the assault of the woman on him. He didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. It was disgusting and wrong and exploitative.

“Let me think on it tonight. I assume you want the five thousand.” Maggie’s tone, even with the mask, was short.

The hutt nodded once. “Of course.”

“And I get the Daxamite?”

The hutt chuckled again. “You are very persistent for such a green hunter. Very confident. And,” the translator laughed alongside the hutt, “you have excellent taste.”

“Either it’s a deal or not,” Maggie said shortly. “I’ve played these games before, and believe me when I say I am not ready to lose this one.” She pulled out a round orb with a small, flashing red light, and the court let out a panic at the sight.

The hutt roared with laughter at the explosive and said something to his translator.  “Enjoy the festivities,” the translator said on behalf of his master. “And I’ll have my servants prepare a room for you.”

Maggie barely heard him, her eyes stuck on the figure of Alex Danvers, and her heart feeling like it was on the brink of bursting into a million pieces.

* * *

  **Dagobah — Dagobah System**

Lena trekked through the swamp, the walk almost involuntary as her mind was elsewhere. It had become routine to walk the swamp and wander every morning as part of her training. Where the swamp had been ominous and dark when she’d first arrived with Kara all those months ago, it was now a source of almost spiritual power.

Everything was connected, and the entire planet was a single breathing unit. The Force was all but tangible, and she understood why Kal had spent so long here.

He had, as of late, been pushing her harder and harder than she had even though possible, and most days she wanted to throw him off a cliff. But as she neared the end of her training, she couldn’t help but wonder what was to happen next.

Six months since she, Maggie, Winn and Barry had hastily patched Kara up as she bled out on the floor of Maggie’s ship. Six months since she had stitched the ex-sith up as they flew towards the nearest rebel base to get her help. Hearing her whimpers of pain, feeling her gripping her hand so tightly it hurt. Holding Kara’s face in her hands as she tried to keep her from going unconscious . . .

It had been five months since Kara had begun walking around without trouble. And she carried on her body two massive scars Lena had the privilege of knowing all too well.

That night on her ship that they had made sure not to talk about . . . there hadn’t been much thought, but seeing Kara strip for the doctor to apply the salve to her injury laid bare the long, ugly scar down her back Lena had put there on Geonosis. And then there was the scar just above her hip from Lex and all Lena could think in that moment was that maybe the Luthors would destroy Krypton for good.

Five months since they had both returned to Dagobah to Kal-El. Both had grown beyond explanation, overcoming demons that still stood in the back of their minds. But they weren’t things to fear. They were a part of her, but they could not control her.

And one month since Kara had felt an urgency in the Force to continue with her search for Alex. The Resistance had lost the location of Alex and Mon-El, telling them to lay low and wait, and both Lena and Kara had all but crawled up the walls in their desperation to do _something_.

Kara had awoken in the middle of the night on Dagobah and stepped into Lena’s room with her bag slung over her shoulder telling her that she had felt something in the Force. Eliza had found something and Maggie had already begun acting, most likely behind the rebel’s backs.

Lena had offered to help but Kal-El had stepped in. Told them it was something Kara needed to complete on her own.

They hadn’t spoken since. But they saw each other all the time. And for the life of her, Lena couldn’t stop thinking about the blonde woman. She was afraid that Kara would never come back. She was afraid of what would happen if Kara was too late to save her sister. And yet, she also found she just _missed_ the Kryptonian.

_Two weeks into their return from Dagobah, and she, Kal-El, and Kara were sitting around a fire, telling long-lost stories of their childhood. Kara had opened up to Kal about the culture of their people, and the Jedi had begun writing everything down._

_Kal told Kara about life in the galactic Republic and the difficulties in it. And Lena shared what it was like to live with the Luthors. It wasn’t long before the conversation turned to more lively things, and soon Lena, delirious in her exhaustion, began to tell them about her attempt to woo a girl in her class during her boarding school days._

_“— and so instead of asking her if she wanted to help me pitch tents, I asked her if she would like to ‘pinch tits’. And I was absolutely_ mortified _beyond anything I’ve ever felt up until then,” Lena finished, her face in her hand as she laughed at herself._

_Kal threw his head back in a roar of laughter, his white teeth almost gleaming in the firelight before letting out a shout of surprise as he fell backwards into a puddle of swamp. And then a new sound that she hadn’t ever heard before joined them and all Lena could think was that she would like nothing else but to hear it for the rest of her life._

_She looked up to see Kara Zor-El holding a cup of water, her nose crinkled as she let out a burst of laughter at Kal. And as Kara’s bright blue eyes met Lena’s, unburdened for just this moment, Lena realized this was the first time she’d seen and heard Kara laugh._

Lena stood at the base of a large tree on the top of a hill, surveying all of the greenery and fog glowing softly in the morning sun. She was ready for this war to be over. She was ready to live her life as more than just a piece of a conflict between two powers.

Three months ago, they had received word that Lex had tried to activate the MEdusa weapon, only to find that it created rain-clouds as opposed to destroying life on the planet he was aiming at. Other than a few unexpected floods, the planet was living fine, and she knew Lex would be tearing his hair out if he had any.

It had taken them _months_ to synthesize the correct isotope and mine the correct minerals. They had time. Just not an infinite amount of it.

She closed her eyes and cast her mind out. Lena took a deep breath, focusing on the ever-present feeling of Kara within her. There wasn’t much to read into. Kara, up until recently, had always had anger waiting in the shadows. Now there was a fierce determination to right her wrongs, to make sure she was nothing like the galaxy knew her as. She had an even stronger burden on her, Lena mused. Often when trying to prove one’s self, it becomes a task much harder than the initial impression made.

The fear was still there. She hadn’t found Alex yet. Lena opened her eyes and breathed out, looking over the horizon before making her way back to Kal’s small house-hut thing.

When she arrived back, she saw Kal sitting cross legged on a log, nursing a cup of tea.

“Are we not training today?” Lena asked hesitantly.

Kal smiled warmly, the sun glinting off of the gray hairs at his temples. “I’m afraid at this point, there is not much I have to teach you.”

Lena blinked. “That’s it? There’s not a . . . a test or course or some enemy I need to beat before we’re done?”

Kal chuckled, shrugging as he sipped his tea. “I can always spar with you one last time if it’ll make you feel better.”

Lena grimaced, remembering all of the times Kal had sparred with her and beat her embarrassingly fast. She wasn’t ready to be a master, and she barely felt equipped to be a Jedi, though, looking back on her progress over the past few months, she had come far from where she had started with J’onn.

“So,” Lena began slowly, sitting beside Kal, “I’m a Jedi now?” Even aloud, the question sounded childish.

Kal chuckled again. “Lena, you’ve been a Jedi from the moment you decided to use your abilities for good and justice. Your abilities have now been honed to where you require little else than your own willpower that you began with.”

This was all so sudden. Lena began thinking about Kara and Alex and the rest of them, and pictured herself with them again, possibly helping them find Alex again.

“Just like Kara has been a Jedi since she chose to forsake the world of evil that Rhea had planted in her head,” Kal continued. “But you have to understand that until you find balance in yourself, it will be impossible to help the galaxy find it through you.”

Lena looked at Kal, brow furrowed as he smiled kindly at her. “Kara came to me before she left to find her sister. Above all else she felt torn between her duties to her family and her responsibilities with me. And do you want to know what I said?” He looked across the small clearing at the trees. “I told her that I was only here as a guide. It’s up to her to walk the path herself. Until she finds restoration in herself, she will fall short of bringing it to the galaxy as she desires to.”

“You told her to find Alex.” It was more of a statement than a question.

Kal dipped his head in confirmation. “She believes in her failures as a member of the Danvers family now more than anything else. Her torn relationships with Eliza and Alex have left her with an imbalance inside of her. She has made peace with the loss of Krypton, that was forced upon her. But this has the ability to be fixed.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Lena asked warily.

“I’m telling you this because you and Kara are two sides of the same coin. Your very souls are connected like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and I believe, in short, that this is the work of destiny.” Kal’s deep voice was serious, his eyes looking into hers. “Just like Kara needs to make peace with her past, so do you. Only then will you be able to fully fulfill your duties as a Jedi knight.”

Lena’s heart began to race faster as her mind swirled around what he was saying — what she didn’t want to accept. “Lex.”

Kal dipped his head. “And your mother. Their stain on the galaxy has gone on for too long, but above all else, their stain on your life has left a strain on your path towards balance.”

Lena stood up suddenly and began pacing, not finding it in her to sit still any longer. “You’re telling me to kill them.”

Kal shook his head. “No, I would never tell you to do that unless it was absolutely the last choice available. But I also cannot tell you how to solve the problem because I simply don’t know.”

Lena sighed. This was not what she had envisioned talking about this morning when she had gotten out of bed. “You want me to go find Lex and Lillian.” She let out a groan as Kal merely watched her. “What about Alex Danvers?”

“You know just as well as I that the rebels are very close to finding her, if they haven’t already found her already.”

Lena shook her head. “Kara hasn’t found her yet.”

Kal merely shrugged one shoulder. “Just because Kara hasn’t seen her yet does not mean that they do not know where she is or have a plan to retrieve her. Your path is your own, and you are free to help them, but I am telling you that there is only so much time you can use to delay the inevitable, and you are _ready_ for whatever will come, even if you do not fully believe it yourself.”

Lena sighed and Kal stood, putting his cup down on the log where he’d been perched. He looked at her hesitantly before giving her an almost fatherly hug. She allowed his broad frame to envelope her as she wrapped her arms around him in turn.

“I’m proud of you, Lena,” his voice rumbled in his chest against her ear. “You are by far my favorite pupil.”

Lena chuckled and pulled back. “Don’t tell Kara,” she quipped before taking a steadying breath. “I’ll pack my things and be out before high noon. Do you know where the Luthors are at this moment in time?”

Kal crossed his arms, thinking. “I do not. But I do know where you can find someone who does.”

* * *

  **Tatooine — Tatoo System**

It was dark almost everywhere, sans a few torches that cast long shadows across the entire room. A lone figure crept forwards silently, their footsteps calculated and intentional as they stepped over the sleeping bodies of the court.

Lingering in the air was the smell of alcohol and body odor, a smell that made the figure silently gag for a moment when they had first entered the area. On the main stage was nothing but a curtain, hopefully only concealing the empty platform.

The figure crept closer to the long silver rectangle on display, the spotlight still very evident on it, highlighting the silent scream of Alexandra Danvers as she stood at the mercy of whoever owned her. Like a silver trophy, she was on display for anyone to see, the curtains that had obscured her drawn back.

Maggie wasted no time in pulling off her godforsaken helmet and softly tossing it onto the ground before going to the control panel on the carbonite block. With a few buttons, the system beeped, flashing a green light. She took a step back, her eyes wide and her pulse racing.

She didn’t know what to think or do when the frozen image of her lover began to glow an intense red, as if were being heated to molten rock. Maggie made to stop the process, panicked that she was killing the captain when all of a sudden she heard a small intake of air from above her.

Maggie looked up and saw the red giving way to flesh and she barely had time to react before Alex fell. The ex-smuggler held out her arms, catching Alex before she hit the ground face-first. Alex was shaking all over, breathing as if she hadn’t been for weeks. Which . . . which was actually really accurate.

Alex was covered in a wet slime-like substance and sweat, but as she desperately grasped the front of Maggie’s clothes, the smuggler couldn’t find it in herself to be disgusted. She had never seen anyone more beautiful in her entire life.

“W-w-who are you?” Alex rasped, panicked. Her hand snaked its way up to Maggie’s throat and she squeezed, causing Maggie to sharply inhale in shock. “W-w-where am I?!”

“You’re safe now,” Maggie whispered through the surprisingly strong grip on her throat.

The grip on her neck loosened immediately.

“Maggie.”

Alex’s hand snaking up to Maggie’s face, feeling the ridges and planes slowly as she stared somewhere off to the left of Maggie’s face. The ex-smuggler let out a laugh, tears escaping the corners of her eyes.

“I’ve got you, love, don’t worry,” Maggie managed through her happy tears.

Alex smiled, laughing as she brought Maggie’s forehead to hers with a shaky hand. The two closed their eyes, breathing in each other’s air for a moment. “Maggie, I can’t _see.”_

Maggie nodded. “Side effects of the carbonite. You’ve been in there a while. They should wear off in a bit.”

Alex’s brow furrowed. “I can’t move.”

“Side effects,” Maggie repeated before kissing the other woman as of her life depended on it. Alex reciprocated until Maggie pulled back. “I’ve missed you.”

Alex smirked. “Did I scare you?”

Maggie snorted. “A bit, yeah.”

Suddenly a low laugh reverberated through the room and lights began to turn on. The sound of applause filled the room as Maggie gripped Alex tighter in her arms, glaring as the curtain drew back from the main stage revealing Kossa, his translator, a few of his higher-ranked patrons, and Mon-El with a metal ring around his neck connected to a chain that ran into Kossa’s fat hand.

She made eye contact with the Daxamite and she hoped her apology was clear. The man seemed to understand, nodding once in understanding before grunting as Kossa yanked him closer.

Kossa began chuckling again amidst words of Huttese and his translator looked more than pleased. “Do you think me stupid, Captain Sawyer?”

“I’m not a _captain,”_ Maggie muttered to herself. “And yeah. I thought you were pretty dumb, so congratulations on proving me wrong.”

She stood up, grunting as she helped Alex lean against her during the process, noticing the way her lover’s entire body went slack for a moment before she managed to balance. Alex panted, the action clearly taking a lot of effort.

“You have just cost me my greatest trophy,” Kossa’s translator said, his face matching Kossa’s disgusted look. “But I find you may serve your credits in something more productive.”

Guards surrounded her and Alex and Maggie glared at them, tightening the grip she had around Alex’s waist. She put up as much of a fight as she could when they separated the just recently reunited couple, but it didn’t do much good.

“Throw the captain in a cell,” the translator ordered for Kossa. “We may get a better price from the Empire with her like this.” Kossa’s eyes widened with something akin to lust as he said something in Huttese. Maggie felt bile rise in her throat as the remaining guards shoved her towards the stage. She stumbled and fell, causing the court to jeer in laughter at her.

“I. Will. _End. You.”_ Maggie’s voice went dangerously low.

“The court has the Daxamite, a beautiful specimen, do not mistake me,” the Hutt chuckled causing Mon-El and Maggie to exchange nervous glances, “but he is not for me. I have yet to acquire a prize worthy enough and _you_ seem like a worthy addition to the court.”

Maggie didn’t resist as the guards lifted her up and began to drag her out of the room.

“Hang in there, Mon-El!” she called over her shoulder.

And then she was thrown into a dark room where she was told to change.

* * *

  **Space**

Lena hesitated before she hit the communications button, tuning the frequency manually to see if the recipient still used the same one he always did. This sort of task was often easier with a froid to do the hard work, but this old ship didn’t have that.

Lena made a mental note to upgrade the system to allow one. She stood at the control panel, staring at the way the stars sat innocently in the distance. It was amazing that so much chaos was happening in a place of such integral peace.

The comm made a buzzing noise before playing a loud static sound. Lena cringed as the weird frequencies hit her ears.

Then the static cleared. There was quiet. But just because there wasn’t any activity happening didn’t mean he wasn’t there.

“Winn?” Lena asked into her mic. “Winn, this is Lena. I need a status update on the Luthors. Winn?”

She waited a few seconds and heard nothing. She tried again. “Winn, this is important. This is Lena Luthor. I just left Dagobah and I _need_ to know where my insane family is!”

There was another pause of silence. Lena groaned in frustration, smashing the dashboard with a fist before taking a deep breath. She could do this. She’d waited for six months to do something other than train (which she understood the necessity of). She could wait for Winn to do whatever he was doing and —

_“—na is that you? You there?”_

Lena jumped towards the system, hastily pushing the button to speak. “Winn! Yes I’m here!”

She heard his hearty laugh and could imagine him spinning around in one of his preferred spin-enabled chairs.

_“I was beginning to think Kal-El had accidentally killed you or something.”_

Lena smirked. “Felt like he was at some points. Sorry about the lack of communication. There’s literally no way to do so from that planet’s surface.”

 _“No problem. Are you planning on visiting or is this just a business call?”_ Though his tone was light, his question was genuine and Lena couldn’t help the stab of guilt that hit her when he asked. She hadn’t seen him in _months_ and now after finally reaching out she could barely spare time to say hello.

“I’m sorry, Winn. But I have something I need to do before I can meet up with you guys.”

There was a brief pause.

_“It’s okay. Really, Lena don’t worry about it. As for your location on the Luthors, yours truly deserves an award for the most brilliant genius to ever exist because when you heroes we’re saving Kara’s life, I managed to put a small tracker on Lex’s ship.”_

Lena had figured so. That’s why she’d called Winn. Heck that’s why Kal-El had _told_ her to call Winn. She said as much to him and was very amused at his crow of pride.

_“Kal-El thinks I’m a genius? Wow I just. I need to take a moment —“_

“Winn.”

 _“Moment passed.”_ He cleared his throat. _“Just a moment. It’s a little difficult to monitor two different things at once . . .”_

Lena’s ears perked up at that. “What do you mean? Where is everyone else? What’s happening?”

Winn let out a nervous laugh. _“Well. Beyond many things, long story short we found out that Lex had sold Mon-El and Alex to a crime lord who also happens to be a Hutt. He did this just as many other people do illegal things: through various accounts and false identities and basically used a bounty hunter as a liaison.”_

Lena’s eyebrows rose. “They’re on Tatooine.”

Winn hummed in affirmation.

“All of them.”

 _“Wellll. Just Mon-El, Maggie, Alex and Kara.”_ Lena hated the way she singled out Kara’s name. _“Barry was called back to base to help J’onn and the other higher-ups steak some more Imperial ships. They’ve been conducting raids the past few months, gathering supplies and intelligence. I think Cat is planning her big attack while the Medusa is out of commission.”_

Lena opened her mouth to respond, but didn’t have much time to form a single word before Winn snapped his fingers.

_“Got it. Sending coordinates now.”_

Lena received a beep on her console indicating a received message. She pulled up the coordinates on a holomap projector and blanched at the sight before her. “Winn. You _do_ know what planet this is — was. Right?”

_“. . . yes.”_

Lena rubbed her temples as she stared warily at the bleeping red dot sitting on the exact location for Krypton. “Do you perhaps know why they’re there? You hacked Lillian’s computer, right?”

_“I do and I don’t. They’re looking to upgrade the Medusa while also fixing it. If i were to guess . . . whatever destroyed Krypton is what they want to use to upgrade their weapon.”_

Lena swallowed nervously. Her brother wouldn’t hesitate to destroy entire worlds. The entire galaxy had seen that.

 _“What are you planning to do?”_ Winn asked slowly.

Lena sighed. “My duty. Keep me updated on any emergencies, Winn.”

_“Ok, but —“_

She cut him off by cutting the transmission for the time being. Tatooine. Not a far hyperspace jump from where she was. She could go in. Help them save Alex and Mon-El, make their chances of success go up. But that would mean by the time she finished, the likelihood of Lex and Lillian remaining where they were would be . . . very slim.

Suddenly she felt a very familiar presence in the ship with her and her shoulders relaxed automatically as she felt her anxieties slip a way. Lena turned to see Kara watching her, concerned.

“You were feeling distressed.” It was a statement, not a question.

“If I had known that’s what would get us to talk to each other, then I would’ve been more distressed as of late.” Lena rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry, I just . . . I can’t decide between two responsibilities and I _know_ which one I should choose, but . . .”

Kara shifted her feet awkwardly for a moment before looking up at Lena with a soft smile. “You do realize we have everything under control here.”

Lena’s head jerked up as she met Kara’s familiar gaze with a furrowed brow. “How did you —”

“Because I would’ve been concerned about the very same thing.” Kara allowed that to hang in the air between them.

Lena broke the silence with a snort. “We’ve come far. A little under a year ago, you would’ve tried to kill me and now . . .”

Kara let out an amused huff of laughter. “Well,” she ducked her head in what Lena had come to learn as her sign of embarrassment or unsurity, “you _did_ save my life.”

“Winn, Maggie, and Barry were there too. You wouldn’t have bled out if I hadn’t been there —”

“I wasn’t talking about then,” Kara interrupted her, an unfamiliar emotion flashing across her eyes.

Lena’s eyes widened at Kara’s insinuation and she let her mouth open in close a couple of times as she searched for something to say. Though, she was flattered Kara saw her as the singular point that helped her turn her back on the Empire.

“Winn said you were on Tatooine.” Work was always a good thing to revert to. Lena had always resolved to business when she entered an uncomfortably personal conversation. She and Kara had gotten much closer, but that didn’t change the fact that Lena didn’t like sharing every bit of herself with people.

Kara nodded, her mouth a grim line. “Alex is prisoner to a hutt by the name of Kossa.”

“Hutts can be very conniving,” Lena said, concerned. “You are most likely walking into a trap.”

Kara shrugged. “Most likely. But Alex is worth it. I . . .” she ran a hand through her hair, “I _have_ to save her. I just . . . she’s one of the only people I have left that I can make things right with again.”

Lena smiled softly. “I know.”

There was a brief silence. “I’m going in tonight. To the hutt’s area.” Kara didn’t sound the least bit nervous. In fact, she seemed rather determined. “Maggie is already in there, but she hasn’t given the signal that everything was okay, nor has she come back with Alex and Mon-El.”

In one fell swoop, Lena realized that Kara had been right: they had everything under control. It was Lena’s job to relinquish her semblance of control and allow them to run their course while she ran hers.

“Look at us, with our deranged siblings,” Lena said with a scoff, sitting down heavily in the cockpit chair.

“You’re going after Lex.”  

Lena sighed. “I have to. Before he and Lillian do any more damage to the galaxy. Rhea has kept quiet and stayed under the radar, and that won’t be for much longer, I know. But the Luthors . . . my _family_ ,” she spat the word, “needs to be stopped before they can gut the entire galaxy.”

Kara scrutinized Lena seriously. “You can’t kill them.”

“I know. I know.” Lena sat back throwing her hands wide in exasperation. “The truth is is that when I’m with them I don’t feel anger. I just feel . . . sad.”

Kara hummed in understanding. They’d shared more than a few pieces of their pasts with one another over the course of the past six months.

“You’ll know what to do when the time comes,” Kara said. She paused for a moment. “I wish I could feel only sadness when faced with my past.”

Lena opened her mouth to respond as Kara looked up sharply as if hearing something from far off. “I have to go,” the Kryptonian said sharply. “Maggie’s in trouble. I can feel it in the Force.”

“Go.”

The two stared at each other for a moment, not quite knowing what to say to one another before Kara began to fade away. “Stay safe,” her voice echoed in the ship before it, too, disappeared.

Lena’s hands tightened on the steering of the ship and she took a deep breath before typing in the coordinates for the Rao system. It was time to face her demons. And her family.

Although, as of late, she was finding it harder and harder to see a difference.

* * *

  **Tatooine — Tatoo System**

There was something different inside of her as she used the Force to sway the minds of the hutt’s security. Something that made more sense, that clicked more than it used to. She waved her hand and the two guards in front of a small tunnel stepped aside.

Kal-El had been right in all of his talks about personal balance. She was finally on the track of finding out who she was and who she was meant to be.

She adjusted the hood of her cloak on her head as she continued forwards. A small series of beeps made Kara pause and turn around as a droid came up to her. The Kryptonian frowned as the droid relayed its gathered info. “So she was only half-successful?”

The droid beeped an affirmative and Kara bent down. “Entertainment for the court?” she hummed. “Go and wait for my signal.”

The droid whined as Kara stood up. She quietly shushed it and waved her hand back towards the direction it had come. It was almost amusing how the droid hesitantly turned around and rolled away into the deep caverns of this hutt’s hideaway.

Kara took a deep breath and continued forwards, casting her senses out, numbering people, finding who was who. She could sense Alex’s life-force as if it were her own, and she knew that what the droid had reported was true: her sister was free from the carbonite.

She swallowed her fear, still feeling the way her heartbeat raced inside of her as she drew nearer to the court. The soft music indicated that the party was winding down and people would soon be asleep.

The guards at the entrance made to bar her way, but she merely used the Force, and their minds were easily swayed. She waited as they stepped away from one another, leaving her room to walk into the court.

The court slowly fell silent as she strode into the hall, black robes, lightsaber clearly clipped on her belt for everyone to see. Her boots scuffed the sand with her confident strides, and she ignored the gazes cast upon her as everyone watched her movements with awe.

She wasn’t used to this. But she found she enjoyed it — she had _earned_ it. A year ago people would have fled from her in fear. But without the mask and the sith garb to define who she was for her, she was simply _her._

The court could sense the natural power radiating off of her; it needed no further explanation.

The Kryptonian cast a glance towards the shirtless Daxamite chained to a chair in the center of the room surrounded by women, and then at the small figure of Maggie Sawyer standing self-consciously next to the hutt, chained to him. Kara bowed low to the crime lord.

“Kossa.” The Force-user spoke calmly. Clearly.

The hutt chuckled. “You are bold to stride into my place as if it were your own, Jedi. Introduce yourself to the court, so that we may know your name.”

The figure stood tall and proud, dropping the hood and releasing long blonde locks. Blue eyes stared unwavering at the hutt.

“My name is Kara Zor-El, daughter of Krypton, last heir to ways of my people, and sworn enemy of the Empire. I am a Jedi for the Rebel Alliance, and _you,_ ” she squared her shoulders, “have my sister."

There was a brief moment of silence before the court roared with laughter. Kara glared at the hutt as she took a step forward. “You _will_ release Captain Danvers, Mon-El of Daxam, and Maggie Sawyer,” she said over the noise of the court, using as much of the Force as she would dare.

Not put lightly, the sway of a Kryptonian’s Force was renown around the galaxy and taught in history books — so it was a surprise when the hutt continued laughing despite the nervous glances the people in the court exchanged as they felt the Jedi’s sway.

The hutt said something in huttese, yanking the chain connected to Maggie, forcing her to stumble closer. She looked a little green as part of her brushed up against the hutt.

“So you’re the brains behind this operation,” the translator relayed with a sneer. “Kara Zor-El. The Empress has a price on your head. Enough for me to reduce all of you to carbonite and begin a collection of rebels.”

Kara lifted her chin as the hutt chuckled again. She could feel the hopes of Mon-El and Maggie rising with every second. She couldn’t waste this.

“I would think carefully before being so bold,” she cautioned.

The hutt just laughed.

Kara scanned the room quickly before drawing her saber. With a quick flick of her wrist the charging guards were thrown back with a Force-blast. She made to charge the hutt, but felt the ground underneath her give way. In a split second of panic, she threw her ignited saber towards the hutt, guiding it with the Force.

She heard a scream as her saber hit someone, but was too focused on softening her fall with the Force. Kara looked up with a determined furrow in her brow and jumped up, making to fly out of the chamber she’d fallen into when the doors before the trap door that had caused her to fall in the first place closed.

Kara gripped the bars with her teeth bared, staring at the hutt who chuckled down at her. The Kryptonian’s eyes flickered down to the now dead translator. It seemed he had jumped in front of the saber for his master.

Kara pushed against the bars of the trapdoor, yelling with the force, and Force, she put behind the action, but they only bent a little.

“Your actions are futile,” the hutt said in the common tongue, his voice just as gravelly and haughty as when he’d spoken huttese. He yanked the chain with an impressive display of strength and, as Maggie fell towards him, threw the chain over her head and began to pull it tight around her neck.

Maggie gagged, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked down at Kara desperately, clawing helplessly at the tightening chain.

“Let her go,” Kara growled. “I’m giving you one last chance.”

Maggie fell into the hutt’s disgusting stomach, unconscious as the hutt laughed. “Kill them all,” the hutt ordered.

Many things happened at once. The sound of large metal doors screeching against each other reached Kara’s ears before an ear-splitting roar reached her ears somewhere behind and below her. The guards above her raced forwards towards Mon-El and unchained him from the chair, shoving the women off of him, and wasted no time in beating him senseless, clearly not letting him have an easy death. Other guards took Maggie from the hutt, leering at her suggestively as she lay there unconscious.

Kara glanced down and saw a mighty rancor slowly stepping towards her, clearly sniffing her out. By its actions and noises, Kara would safely guess that the thing hadn’t been fed in a _long_ time.

She dropped to the ground, rolling away as the monster smashed the ground where she had been.

 _You’re a Kryptonian,_ she told herself. _You are more than capable._

She heard the dull thuds of fists and feet hitting Mon-El, and his cries slowly fading to whimpers. She didn’t have much time.

Kara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, channeling her energy and calling on the Force before she opened her eyes, feeling heat build behind them. To bright lines of light shot from them and through the monster, and Kara turned before it fell, now focused on the door.

Kara flew up, grasping the grates with her hands tightly, her knuckles going white. She used the Force on a nearby blaster, catching it in her hand. With more than a few well-placed shots, the mean beating up Mon-El were on the ground. She threw the gun away and called her saber to her. Only her hand could fit through the grates, but that was all she needed.

Kara pulled the saber through the grate before igniting it. In a single sweep of her wrist, the grate was cut away and she was laughing herself in the air. The Kryptonian turned her body in a flip mid-air and landed on her feet, growling as she looked up at the hutt who was watching her with surprise, his great eyes wide.

The rest of the court had fled in chaos, and now it was her, the hutt, and a few lingering guards.

Mon-El groaned from where he lay on the ground.

“Can you stand?” Kara asked him, without looking away from the hutt.

Mon-El groaned again and rolled onto his back. “With effort,” he wheezed.

Kara took off her cloak, still making sure not to break eye-contact with the hutt before throwing it Mon-El’s way. “Get Alex. Winn is waiting outside.”

She sensed guards racing after Mon-El as stood and pulled on the cloak over his mostly-naked body, grimacing in pain. Kara spun and threw out her hand, blasting them away from him and into the wall.

_“Go!”_

Mon-El scurried away towards what Kara could only assume were the cells.

Kara slowly turned towards the hutt. “Release her.”

The hutt’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

Kara lifted her chin. “So be it.” She used the Force to boost her speed, seemingly appearing in front of a pair of guards. With a couple of quick movements, her saber was out and they were down. She used the Force on another oncoming group, ignoring the sickening thuds as their forms hit the wall. Kara sensed someone coming behind her and jumped backwards, flipping and spinning in the air as she did so.

She caught a glimpse of a large, electrified spear and, as she landed, kicked the attacker square in the back. As he stumbled forwards, caught off balance, she spun her blade, effectively slicing him in half.

Kara blocked the shots of a few more blasters with her saber and turned to see a bounty hunter facing her with his guns held by his hips, firing shot after shot with impressive speed.

She blocked his shots as she drew nearer step by step until she was feet in front of him. She smirked at the man’s helmet. Though she couldn’t see his face, she could sense his fear. The blue of her saber casted a glow on their faces, and she knew she looked every bit as intimidating as she wanted.

“Sorry.” With just the narrowing of her eyes, a massive blast shot from her body, throwing the hunter from her person. He hit the wall and dropped to the floor, and didn’t move from where he’d fallen.

She heard a deep gagging sound and whirled around, saber ready only to see Maggie Sawyer standing behind the hutt with her own chain wrapped around his neck in an ironic twist of events. Sawyer’s arms were straining with the effort, her teeth bared as she pulled with all of her strength.

Kara watched, impressed, as the hutt finally went limp.

Maggie stepped back, panting.

“He’s dead,” Kara said into the now eerily quiet room littered with dead bodies.

“Not for lack of trying,” Maggie said as she caught her breath. She managed to smile Kara’s way, catching the Kryptonian off guard. “Nice to see you again, Danvers.”

“That’s not my —,” Kara stopped her involuntary reaction. “Same.”

“Let’s go. I want to change clothes and get off this damn planet.” Maggie stepped down from the stage, holding her chain out meaningfully.

Kara zapped it with her laser vision as she clipped the saber to her belt. “Come on. Mon-El and Alex should be headed towards the rendezvous point.”

Maggie sighed, shaking her head as she began to walk towards the exit, Kara behind her. The Kryptonian waited a moment before following. They had been successful with a couple of hiccups in their plan. But Alex was safe and Mon-El was still alive.

Kara felt her heart beat faster as a wave of anxiety hit her. She had a long-overdue conversation with her sister, and though she knew Alex would be receptive, she couldn’t help the fear that filled her in a single moment.

* * *

  **Krypton — Rao System**

“Well, this is interesting.”

Lex turned away from the microscope and the window that presented a shattered Krypton for a background as the doors behind him hissed open. He waved in greeting to his mother.

“What’s interesting?” she asked, getting straight to the point.

Lex smiled, causing the scar across his eye to scrunch. “Krypton’s core is actually quite stable. I had guessed based on the Kryptonite experiments, but the data has reaffirmed my hypothesis.”

Lillian hummed, walking past him to the window, scrutinizing the dead planet. “What are you saying?”

Lex tossed a chunk of Kryptonite in the air, catching it neatly in his hand. “I’m saying that something caused the core to explode outside of the core itself.”

Lillian faced him with a raised eyebrow. “Krypton was a peaceful planet. They had no enemies nor reports of attack. Their only call for help was to the Republic as the planet itself was collapsing.”

Lex tilted his head. “Exactly.” He joined his mother at the window and held up the chunk of green rock to eye-level. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

Lillian faced her son with a look of curiosity on her face. Her eyes widened in surprise as Lex tossed the Kryptonite her way and she hastily caught it before looking back up at his triumphant grin.

“It means, dear mother, that the Kryptonians did this to themselves.” He laughed at the irony and hummed, looking at the planet floating in pieces outside of their ship. “I wonder if Kara Zor-El knows. I wonder what that kind of information would do to her if she did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to get from point A to point B. Sorry if it seemed slow. Things are picking up now, folks ~
> 
> Thank you to my loyal readers. Honestly, your feedback is what drives me to continue and do better.
> 
> PS: have I mentioned yet that I’m heavily influenced by Avatar: TLA and Korra?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Avengers: Endgame has left me emotionally spent. So. That's what I'm blaming on this delay.
> 
> Also, finals are things that exist. And I hate them.
> 
> For this chapter I give you: angst, resolution, Supercorp, and more exposition!

**Krypton — Rao System**

The tractor beam from the single destroyer didn’t catch Lena by surprise, and, if she was completely honest, she was hoping that Lillian and Lex would catch sight of her before she was too close so that she was saved the trouble of finding a way to gain their attention. 

Her radio beeped and she sighed, prepared for the customary access code requests and identifications when an all-too familiar voice greeted her with mock-happiness. 

_ “Lena, my dear sister. It’s been a while.” _

Lena couldn’t help the way her lip curled at the sound of her brother’s voice. She adjusted her grip on the steering mechanism of the ship despite not needing to steer at all. “Lex,” she grounded out. “How’s the eye?” she added, not quite being able to help herself. 

She could practically  _ feel  _ the anger permeating from him.  _ “It’s manageable,”  _ he growled.  _ “No thanks to you, dear sister. That was quite a move to make against your own sibling.” _

Lena couldn’t help the smirk that made its way onto her face. “Now people know you’re as wretched on the outside as you are on the inside.”

_ “All words and no play, Lena,”  _ Lex chided.  _ “I would be careful what you say to the people who have imprisoned you.” _

Lena jerked forwards as her ship was forced to land in one of the destroyer’s hangars and she gave a small grunt, righting herself in her chair. “It was hardly an imprisonment, Lex. I  _ surrendered _ my ship to you.”

_ “Details. I can’t wait to see your  _ beautiful  _ face again,”  _ Lex drawled.  _ “You, me, and our dearest mother have much to discuss.” _

Lena watched through the cockpit window as soldiers surrounded her ship with their guns out, each of them armed as if she were the biggest threat to the entire base. She rolled her eyes and stood up. 

_ “Don’t try anything funny,”  _ Lex warned.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” She hit the controls that lowered the entry ramp to her ship, hearing the familiar hiss and feeling the vehicle shake as the door began to descend. Lena took a deep breath, messing with the hem of her shirt as she pulled on her outer robes that Kal had given her. A dark forest green, meant for blending in with the swamp. He had offered to make a broach like he had of the crest of the house of El, but of the L of the Luthors. 

She had turned him down. 

Lena strode down to where the entry ramp began, talking herself down as she began to internally panic. The anxiety was to be expected, but that didn’t make it any easier. She was doing what she needed to do. Not just for the galaxy, but for  _ her.  _

Lena made sure to stand tall, to let her shoulders fall back, her back straight. She knew that with the lights of the hangar and the steam that hissed up into the air before dissolving, along with her robes and her prominently displayed saber all told everyone who was watching exactly who and  _ what  _ she was.

The ramp hit the ground and the soldiers advanced, guns pointed at her, the sound of their feet echoing in the surprisingly empty hangar. 

“Hands in the air.” She looked at the man that had yelled at her, and slowly put her hands in the air, not feeling very threatened despite all of the guns pointed at her face. A soldier ran up to her and unclipped her saber from her belt before dashing off with it as if Lena were going to somehow attack him before the soldier could get away. 

Lena felt a surprising amount of calm in the face of being surrounded. No, her anxieties weren’t about being shot, per say, especially by a small army. It was the man standing behind the line of men and guns and uniforms. The woman next to him with her tight bun and firmly set mouth. 

She allowed herself to be handcuffed, and grimaced when she felt the all-too familiar sensation of her heightened senses given to her from the Force fading away. Lena focused on the tendril of connection that remained, sensing Kara as if from a distance, and though it did nothing to change the effect the what she now knew to be Kryptonite-infused handcuffs, it eased her unease as she was led towards her brother and adopted mother. 

The soldiers parted for her, some of them running into her ship to see what they could find, no doubt. Lena lifted her chin as she stopped in front of Lex, taking in his familiar suit and easy smile. Though his smile was comfortable, she could see the coldness in his eyes. Or, rather, eye. The vertical line down his face left his bad eye milky and scarred. She almost felt bad for him.

“You’re healing well,” she commented, smartly. 

Her brother’s lip curled. “I see the arrogance of the Jedi hasn’t skipped over you.” He lifted his hand and the few men surrounding her and grabbing her arms began to lead her forwards. Lex turned, leading the way as Lillian silently watched from the side, clearly analyzing the situation. “Come, let me show you what we’ve been doing. We have many things to discuss.”

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

It was a blur, the arrival and landing on Onderon. Beyond the series of authorization codes, ontop of making sure that they weren’t shot down since they, technically, weren’t on a Resistance-registered vehicle, Kara was . . . nervous.

Being on Dagobah with Kal-El had shown her many things and helped her regain a part of her she had been searching for forever. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid to face her past. 

Kara stepped onto the asphalt of the landing area, blinking back the harsh rays of the morning sun, and took a moment to observe the way the airfield flooded with people. It was like watching ants: every single person had a job and a duty and didn’t allow for the immense crowd to hinder that job. It was a mix of brown uniforms and orange and green and some people wore helmets, others had headsets and — 

The Kryptonian took a step back as a group of rebels walked past, unloading a nearby ship, carrying a large metal crate. Kara heard someone call her name from behind her and turned to see Maggie Sawyer holding up a barely-conscious Alex. 

Her adopted sister had, for a majority of the flight (sans the periodic systems check they did following some instructions in an old medical manual left to collect dust on a shelf), slept. Her body, as Winn had explained, needed time to heal itself. 

Kara strode up the ramp and made to help Maggie, but the woman shook her head as she shifted Alex’s weight. “I’ve contacted Eliza. We should be getting help soon. Mon-El needs a little help. I figured it’d be better to meet everyone halfway.”

Kara nodded, awkwardly taking a step back before studying Alex. “How’re you feeling?” she asked hesitantly.

Alex snorted. “Great. Instead of being totally blind, I can see shapes.”

Maggie rolled her eyes. “She’s got almost all of her motor functions. Except for her ankles which are somewhat necessary to walk with.”

Kara couldn’t help the amused smirk that made its way onto her face. She was sure Alex fought tooth and nail before letting herself be escorted out by her girlfriend. “I’ll get Mon-El.” She walked past them, making towards the medical bay before pausing. “Where’s Winn?”

Alex turned her head towards the general direction Kara had spoken from, looking a bit too far to the right. “He should be here any minute. He was running some diagnostics on the ship before heading into base. I overheard him say something about the _Mytilene_ bring out of date —”

“My ship is  _ fine _ thank you,” Maggie interrupted. 

Kara heard Alex mumble something under her breath, and as Maggie scoffed, indignant, the Kryptonian took that as her cue to leave. She walked back into the ship and made her way to the med-bay, walking in to see Mon-El slowly swinging his legs over the side of the bed. 

“Maggie said you may want some help,” she said into the quiet room. 

Mon-El gave a short laugh, wincing at the motion, a hand going to his side. When they had looked him over, Kara had sensed a number of cracked ribs. He was covered in ugly bruises and the scars on his back . . . the fact that the Daxamite was functioning as well as he was . . . well, it was impressive.

“As long as I’m still breathing, I think I’ll be okay,” Mon-El said lightly before slowly lowering his feet to the ground. “It’s just a small walk to the —  _ woah!” _

Kara caught him, using the Force to propel her speed before he could hit the ground. “You’re going to need help,” she reiterated. 

Mon-El smiled sheepishly at her. “I think I need help.”

Kara put his arm around her shoulder and began to slowly guiding him, using a bit of the Force to make his weight easier on his legs. Just before they turned down the main hallway to the entry ramp, Kara heard a distant clang and a shout. She frowned. “He’s actually trying to fix the ship.”

Mon-El chuckled. “You’ve been with us a month and even you see how crazy he is.” He sighed and shook his head. “But he’s only doing what he does best because all he wants to do is help.”

Kara cocked an eyebrow and began moving forwards again. “What do you mean? Winn has done more than help the past four weeks —”

“But that doesn’t stop any of us does it? From trying to escape a past that defined us without our permission?” the prince interrupted, his tone bitter.

There was a pause of silence. 

“I . . . I only just met you, and . . . I know you know who I am. Who I  _ was,”  _ Kara began softly. “But I just want you to know that I appreciate the way you’ve trusted me. Even though you didn’t . . . you didn’t have much of a choice.”

Mon-El shot a grin her way, grimacing with the pain of twisting to face her. She could feel the wind from outside blowing over them as they neared the ramp. “Oh, I had a choice. But I also know what it’s like to live with my mother and anyone would go crazy under her.” He looked forwards, both of them squinting as they stepped into the sunlight. “Especially when she makes it so easy to believe she wants you,” he added softly as someone on the bustling tarmac called their names. 

Kara felt her heart skip a beat as Eliza Danvers and J’onn J’onzz pushed through the crowd with a medical droid and a cot to transport Mon-El back to base. J’onn took Mon-El and helped him onto the bed as Eliza wrapped her arms around a shocked Kryptonian without any hesitation.

“I’m  _ so  _ proud of you,” the woman said as she pulled back, tears in her eyes. Kara just gaped at her, speechless. “I’ve heard what you’ve been doing the past seven months and I cannot express how proud of you I am.”

Kara blinked back tears. She shook her head. “I don’t deserve your praise,” she said bitterly. “I . . .” Kara tried to hold herself back, tried to convince herself this wasn’t the time or place, but suddenly it all came out, years of things she’d been wanting to say but never allowed herself to even  _ think  _ about saying. “I wasn’t taken from Midvale. I . . . I  _ chose  _ to leave. Rhea gave me a choice and I . . . I  _ took  _ it. I  _ wanted  _ to do the things she made me do. I . . .” she let out a choked sob, “I  _ hated _ , and I hated and I hated, and I just wanted to prove to myself that what I was doing was right, and I know that’s no excuse for the things I’ve done and the  _ people,  _ Rao, the  _ people _ I’ve killed and hurt, but I . . .” she blinked past the tears that were flowing freely down her face and couldn’t help the way she leaned into Eliza’s hand as she cupped her face and began to rub the tears with her thumb lovingly, “I lost myself, and I . . . I’m so,  _ so _ sorry.” She let out a sob. “It took me  _ years _ to see that the thing I hated most was myself and that I was lost.  _ Rao, _ I was so  _ lost.” _

She looked down, not being able to meet Eliza’s gaze and she felt the woman kindly lift her chin so that the Kryptonian was forced to meet the older woman’s gaze. 

Eliza smiled lovingly,  her own eyes watery and knowing. “Kara,” she said softly, her voice filled with so much  _ love,  _ “I don’t think you’re quite paving the path towards your own self-forgiveness. You were lost, but you found your way, and you  _ chose _ to do so on your own. And I am  _ so  _ proud of you.”

Kara’s lips pulled back in a smile and she ducked her head at the praise, letting out a watery laugh. She looked back up at her adopted mother as the woman made to wrap her in another hug. This time, Kara let herself sink into it, burying her face into the woman’s hair. 

“I know Jeremiah would be too,” Eliza breathed into the Kryptonian’s ear. 

Kara felt something inside her get a little bit lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from her. She only hoped Alex felt the same as her mother.

* * *

 

**Luthor Destroyer — Krypton: Rao System**

“I cannot  _ believe _ you brought your R and D with you,” Lena couldn’t help but snark as they stepped into the large room. 

It was filled with the sound of machinery, tools, and conversation. The unintelligible shouts of men barking orders reached her ears and she watched as a man, probably a manager or supervisor of sorts, scolded a worker for something. She scanned the room, easily big enough to fit a squadron or two of x-wings inside if the room were empty.

“It was necessary for what we’re trying to do.” Her brother grabbed her cuffed wrists and jerked her arm out straight in front of her before pulling what looked to be a long plastic cylinder with a button on the end. He jabbed it into her joint and pressed the button, and Lena hissed as she felt a sting. 

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he said conversationally as he put it in an inside pocket of his coat and continued walking as if nothing had happened. Lex jerked his head and the guards roughly pushed her towards her brother. She grunted, wishing she could rub her arm, and began to follow her brother as he descended the grated stairs onto the main floor. 

Lena took in the giant machine and what looked to be a section of a  _ really  _ large light refractor. But she knew better. It was a particle transmitter and she knew  _ exactly  _ what weapon it belonged to. 

“Isn’t it a little counterintuitive to tear apart your greatest weapon to fix an issue with the central isotope?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Lena, darling, there’s more to a weapon than the first model,” Lillian drawled from beside her. 

Lena faced Lillian, doing nothing to hide the disgust she knew was written on her face. “Nice of you to join the conversation,  _ mother.” _

Lillian scoffed. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. Just because you’ve joined a ‘higher order’ doesn’t mean you know what is and isn’t happening.” She exchanged a glance with Lex before continuing. “And we caught the isotope switch when one of our targets grew  _ more  _ plants instead of losing them.”

Lex began to walk towards the main machine, and Lena hopped forwards a little to avoid the inevitable push from the guards, shooting them a glare as she began to walk on her own behind her brother. 

“It was a clever move, I’ll give you that,” Lex said over his shoulder. “But it gave us insight into things we could to to improve the efficiency of the machine.”

Lena was getting less and less patient as the conversation went on. If she weren’t being trailed by guards and her hands weren’t in Kryptonite-laced handcuffs, then this wouldn’t be anything more than a pitch to some new investor. 

“So you, what? Gathered more of Krypton’s already shattered core to power the machine?” Lena said, her eyes scanning what she begrudgingly and internally admitted to herself was an impressive piece of science.

“It’s nice to see you’re still as sharp as ever,” Lex said with a smirk.

“I fail to see what you need me for,” Lena shot at her brother, fed up with the niceties and grandiose presentation. “You and Lillian have only kept me alive because I seem to be able to serve some sort of purpose to you. Otherwise you would’ve killed me the first chance you got, and don’t even  _ think  _ I don’t know that you’ve been wanting to wrap your hands around my throat since I stepped off of my ship,” she said in a low voice to her brother. 

All facade of kindness left Lex’s face in an instant. Suddenly, she could see the man who had presumably killed and ended Kal-El of Krypton. “Oh, I want you to suffer. I want you to suffer  _ so badly _ that all you’ll be able to do is  _ wish  _ you had met an end with my hands around your throat.”

“You’re willing to throw away everything just because I’m, what? A rebel? A  _ Jedi?!”  _ Lena asked, incredulously.

“Don’t kid yourself, Lena,” Lillian drawled, stepping up beside Lex to face her. “You are more than just those things. You,” the woman leaned forwards and Lena fought the urge to step back, “are a  _ failure.” _

Lena opened her mouth to respond before Lex swiftly interrupted her. 

“Kicked out of boarding school,” he began. 

“You  _ know  _ Veronica set me up —” she growled lowly.

“— suspended from LuthorCorp —,” he continued, now counting on his fingers.   

“That wasn’t  _ my  _ fire —”

“— three tries to get a pilot’s license —”

“Lex,” Lena growled, her voice thick with warning, though she wasn’t sure what she was warning him of when she was held captive by him.

“— multiple relationship scandals, those poor women, all left in an empty bed and heart taken by you which I will never understand,” Lex added as he continued listing, “multiple failed patents, running away from home, joining the rebels, and killing  _ dad.” _

Lena felt the air leave her as he finished with a snarl, his hands dropped to his side. She shakily lifted her hands, since they were attached to one another at this point, and pointed at him. “You and I  _ both  _ know that I didn’t  _ kill _ him —”

“But you failed to save him,” Lillian interrupted, crossing her arms. “You said you’d be able to help, you gave him hope, and when your medical  _ miracle  _ failed to do much more than allow him to  _ sleep,  _ he  _ died.” _

Lena looked away, her jaw clenching. 

She heard Lex scoff as Lillian continued. “You want to know why you’re here and not rotting in one of our cells or enduring our Kryptonite trials?” Lillian stepped forwards so that Lena could feel the woman’s breath on her. “Because you, my dear  _ daughter,  _ are worth —”

“I used to search for reasons to explain why you both chose the paths you did,” Lena interrupted her adopted mother, her lip curling as she looked her in the eye. It was an action she wouldn’t have been able to do a year ago. “I see now that the only explanation is that you both are just terrible people and there’s nothing more or less to explain it.”

Lillian reared back with wide eyes. “You ungrateful —”

Lex held a hand up, holding her back as he acknowledged Lena coolly. “Let her finish.”

Lena let out an exasperated laugh. “Yes the Jedi of the Old Republic had their flaws. They thought that extinguishing darkness with light was balance and they thought that emotions were the catalyst of all evil, and they definitely became more bureaucrats than defenders in the end, but at least they stood for what they believed in. You,” she grounded at Lex, “are just a scared man who’s too afraid to face the truth that there are people out there with more power than you, and you’re too  _ weak  _ to acknowledge that maybe it’s  _ okay  _ to not be the best at something!”

Her voice had risen loudly by the end of her tangent, and the workers within earshot had stopped to listen in. Lex’s jaw was working and his good eye was brimming with barely-contained anger. 

“You,” he snapped at the nearest worker. The man jumped in surprise. “Clear the room.”

“But sir —”

_ “Now.” _

The man scurried off and soon the traffic of people began to dissipate. 

“I see your friends have rubbed off on you,” he sneered. “With all of their self-righteous  _ bullshit.”  _ He shouted the last word and Lena flinched. Maybe she’d made a mistake letting her frustration get the better of her. “You’re just as pathetic as Kara Zor-El. Leaving the home provided for you, throwing away any potential you had for greatness —”

“She  _ left  _ because her  _ home _ under the Empire was anything but that,” Lena snapped. “She didn’t throw away her potential, she recognized it.”

“And I presume you think you’ve found yours as well?” Lex growled. 

Lena just lifted her chin, not saying a word. 

Lex’s good eye flashed with anger. “You  _ irritable  _ —”

“Lex,” Lillian spoke calmly, causing his arm to freeze mid-air from where he’d lifted it to strike Lena. Both of her children looked at her to see her eying Lena with a cool, calculating interest. “I think we’ve found a way to get her to talk.”

Lex frowned, his arm dropping to his side. “I don’t understand.”

Lena felt her heart pound faster as Lillian approached Lena with the same look a panther would give its cornered prey right before striking. 

“You are downright,” Lillian grabbed Lena’s chin roughly between her fingers, “predictable.” 

Lena steeled her gaze, ignoring the fear coursing through her. Lillian had just discovered something and Lena’s mind was racing trying to think of what it could be but she refused to allow the woman the satisfaction of seeing her panic — 

“How long?” Lillian murmured, searching Lena’s face.

“What?” Lex asked aloud. 

Lena just glared at Lillian.  _ How long . . . what? _

Lillian hummed. “How long,” she said again, slowly, “have you been involved with the Empress’ ward, hmmmm?”

Lena’s heart skipped a beat as her eyes widened. She saw Lex’s eyebrows raise in the corner of her eye. 

Lillian broke out in a shark’s grin. “Or is it that it’s only one-sided? How  _ tragically ironic  _ that would be after your long string of broken hearts that you finally feel attached to someone and they don’t know . . .” She pulled Lena closer as she leaned forward, her breath stirring the hairs by Lena’s ear. “Did you do what you do best? Did you  _ fuck  _ her and leave before —”

_ “Stop!”  _ Lena roared as she took a step back from Lillian, slamming her cuffed fists into the woman’s face, her entire body tense with an anger she didn’t know she possessed. The guards around her all cocked their guns and pointed it at her, but she couldn’t care less.

Lillian stumbled back, holding the area of her face where Lena had struck, still managing to look pleased as she watched the Jedi’s shoulders rise and fall with her angry breaths, the younger woman’s entire body tense. 

“Lex,” Lillian said, jerking her chin towards Lena, “her eyes.”

Lex grinned. “Ah, so it  _ does  _ work in spite of the green Kryptonite.”

Lena stepped back as Lex stepped forwards, wanting nothing more than to break his neck. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”

Lex held up his hands in surrender. “Fine by me, sis.” He faced Lillian. “If you would be so kind as to make some notes. I think,” he continued as he glanced towards Lena, “it’ll be interesting to see what she does when she learns what we have about Krypton’s . . .  _ untimely  _ fate.”

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

Kara stood with her nose practically touching the cool metal of the door, her hand frozen over the control panel that opened it. She could do this. She had talked with Eliza she could face the other half of her family. 

“Standing there isn’t going to help,” a voice said from a ways down the hall. 

Kara jumped in surprise, turning to see Winn walking towards her, freshly showered and wearing cargo pants and a white shirt. 

“Winn? What’re you doing down here?” she asked. 

“You mean what am I doing outside of the medical bay where one of my good friends is recovering from a sixth month trip to icetown?” Winn asked sarcastically with a raised eyebrow. 

Kara huffed, rolling her eyes. 

Winn’s face went serious as he saw Kara’s distress. “I was just . . . just joking. Is everything all right?”

The Kryptonian managed a small smile towards the kind-hearted tech. Since she had shown up on his metaphorical doorstep a month ago with a desperate urgency to find her sister, the man had been nothing but helpful. They hadn’t talked much beyond planning and strategizing, but she was willing to bet that her appearance had given him and Maggie a second wind in their hope that Alex would be okay. 

But . . . there had been late night conversations. In the darkness and shadows of the ship when the lights were dimmed and Maggie had retired to her room (probably staring at the wall or the ceiling like Kara did during that time) due to a ‘strong recommendation’ to rest from Cat, Winn’s lightheartedness and humor gave way to fear and exhaustion.

They had talked, and they had learned more about one another. Not too much, but enough for them to know that in those moments, in the times when things seemed dark, they weren’t alone.

“What do I say, Winn?” Kara let out, throwing her hands in the air as she began pacing. “I tried to  _ kill  _ her! I ran away from her and she thinks it’s all her fault and now she’s been in carbonite for  _ months  _ and —”

“You’re forgetting something pretty important,” Winn interrupted her calmly. “She spent a majority of her adult life looking for you regardless of the things she saw or heard.”

Kara shook her head, meeting his kind eyes.

“Did you know that Maggie’s parents kicked her to the curb when they found out she liked women?” He saw Kara’s confused look at the abrupt change in conversation and nodded his head once. “Yup. She was top of her class at the Academy, in almost every area and they pulled out their funding and dropped her.”

Kara blinked. “I don’t . . . I don’t understand.”

Winn leaned his back against the wall, crossing his arms and looking thoughtfully up at the ceiling. “Barry Allen once made a selfish mistake that got his mother killed. His mentor, Oliver Queen, pushed him hard because he knew Barry could take it. But all Barry has been doing ever since is try to prove himself to himself. He hides it underneath everything, but he’s really just afraid that everyone will leave him.”

Kara was beginning to understand where he was going with this. 

“And Lena.” Winn chuckled. “Lena has all this . . . this self-preservation thing going on that she does. But if you look close enough, she gives more of herself to others than she’d like anyone to believe because if there’s anything she’s learned from her life, it’s that no one gave her anything of themselves and she doesn’t wish that on  _ anyone.” _

Winn looked at Kara, and the Kryptonian searched his face as he smiled gently at her. 

“My dad destroyed the biggest metropolitan area in my country on my homeplanet with weapons disguised as children’s toys,” Winn said bitterly. “All it took was for a single child to give it a squeeze just a bit tighter than needed and the entire city went up in a chain of explosions beginning with a children’s hospital.”

Kara’s eyes widened as Winn’s voice got more serious and pointed, his eyes steeling over as he relived the memories he was talking about. She had known Winn’s father had done something horrible. She just hadn’t heard the full story. 

“I —”

“We’re all a bunch of broken people who’ve been tossed around by people who were supposed to love us,” Winn cut in, putting a hand on Kara’s shoulder. “None of us want to do that to anyone else in our lifetimes if we can help it. Alex will listen to you, and she will forgive you because she’s your  _ sister,  _ Kara. She loves you.”

Kara felt her shoulders drop as she stared at her new friend incredulously. She moved forward a bit before hesitating. Then she gave up on resisting and wrapped him in a hug that took the shorter man by surprise. 

She felt Winn hesitantly lay his hands on her back as he returned the hug she had completely enveloped him in. 

“Thanks, Winn,” she said softly into his ear.

“No problem,” he responded, pulling back. “You . . . you give good hugs for an ex-sith,” he joked. 

Kara let out a small laugh, shaking her head at Winn’s commentary. 

“Go talk to your sister. I can speak with her later.” Winn smiled once more at the Kryptonian before walking off down the hall. 

Kara faced the door again, and took a deep breath, releasing it shakily. She lifted her hand and put her finger on the scanning pad that opened the door. As the door hissed open and Kara stepped in, her mouth was already open, ready to come up with something to say to start apologizing or asking for forgiveness or — 

She took a moment to realize the lights were off, and then she saw the way her sister’s form rose and fell steadily in time with her breaths as she slept. 

Kara felt the tension in her body relax as she regarded her sister with fondness, recalling the times when watching her sleep gave her comfort as a small child. There was something about seeing someone so sure of themselves sleep so peacefully that convinced her that rest was possible and that, maybe, there was nothing to fear.

So she closed the door behind her, turned on a small lamp, and pulled a chair up beside her sister’s bed. The sound of the monitors that read her life systems beeped softly in the silence of the room and Kara sighed in the stillness. 

She would wait. She had waited months to make things right. She could wait a few hours.

* * *

 

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

_ “You . . .  _ you  _ made the rubrium for Rhea!” Lena stood facing Lex in the shadow of a massive machine. Lillian Luthor stood a few steps behind her son, and the Luthor family as a whole stood surrounded by armed guards who did not seem to be ready to put their weapons away any time soon.  _

_ “I prefer the term ‘red kryptonite’,” Lex said conversationally. He stepped forwards and looked Lena up and down as if she were a lab specimen. _

_ Kara swallowed the lump of anger in her throat as the man stood cockily in front of his sister, knowing that there was nothing she could do. The Kryptonian took note of the two guards that flanked the youngest Luthor and the greenish handcuffs keeping her hands bound in front of her.  _

_ “Lena!” Kara’s call fell on deaf ears. For whatever reason, Lena couldn’t hear her. Or was purposefully ignoring her, but Kara couldn’t think of a reason why she would do such a thing . . . _

_ She felt her heart skip a beat as her eyes widened when Lena looked up to glare at her brother. The woman’s eyes, her beautiful green eyes that seemed to pierce into Kara’s soul whenever they looked at her . . . her eyes were swimming with what looked to be a small red storm. Flashes of red, barely kept at bay by what Kara intuitively knew to be Lena’s willpower. _

_ Kara swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth. She knew the look of hatred and anger on Lena’s face. She had seen it plenty of times in the mirror.  _

_ “I’ve been developing the serum to help it take effect quicker. Last longer, you know, the whole deal,” Lex said, leaning back, but staring down his nose at Lena with something akin to triumph in his eyes. “Truth be told, I didn’t realize the finalized version would be tested on my sister.” _

_ Lena’s lip curled in an ugly sneer and Kara felt something twist inside of her. This wasn’t the Lena she knew. The one that fought for the side of light because she’d seen so much darkness in her lifetime. The one that actively sought to make Kara smile once she realized she could.  _

_ Lena’s eyes flashed red, and all Kara could think was that maybe she was about to lose her best friend. _

_ “You were going to test it on Kal-El,” Lena snarled. _

_ Lex’s eyebrows rose mockingly. “What an educated guess, dear sister! You always were very bri —” _

_ The bald man’s speech choked off as Lena’s hands shot up and wrapped around his throat, unwavering when the soldiers shouted in alarm and stepped closer, more than ready to fire. Lena didn’t look away as the guards on her side drew their handguns.  _

_ “You were going to use the core of Krypton against those who were born on it,” Lena said softly, her quiet voice rich with malicious intent. “Kal-El, if I remember correctly, was your  _ friend.”

_ Her fingers tightened at the word and Lillian shouted in protest at the action, her voice melding with Kara’s as the Kryptonian launched herself forward.  _

_ “Lena, don’t do this,” Kara pleaded with the woman. She stood right beside the Luthor, facing her side profile as Lena continued to glare at Lex, her lip curled in disgust. “Lena, I’ve been here, and it hurts, all of it does, and you’re angry, but you’re so much better than I am!”  _

_ Kara reached out for her friend, to pull her arms aside, but her hands went straight through Lena as if she were a holoprojection. “NO!” Kara roared, helpless.  _

_ “Back . . . off,” Lex choked out, his eyes bulging as Lena’s grip tightened once more, almost impossibly.   _

_ The guards took a step back.  _ _   
_

_ “You never had any intention of preserving Rhea’s Empire, least of all her greatest weapon,” Lena practically breathed, seeming to relish in Lex’s fear. “You were going to kill her, and so, I will kill you. The galaxy would be so much safer without you in it.” _

_ “NO!” Kara bellowed, tears welling in her eyes. She couldn’t lose Lena to the path she had lived for so long, not after all of their hard work. After everything Kal had taught them. Yes, Lena was under the influence of the serum, but all of the desires and inhibitions were hers.  _

_ And Kara knew how powerful that could be.  _

_ Lex’s eyes widened, seeming to realize Lena had an upper hand even without her Force abilities, and Kara saw his hand start to fumble with his belt. Before Lena could react, he had pulled out a small white square and slapped it onto her arm.  _

_ Instantly, Lena fell to the ground, convulsing as electricity wound its way around and through her. Her screams echoed in the large room and it wasn’t until Lex gave a few orders to his soldiers, rubbing his neck while doing so, that Kara realized she had been yelling alongside Lena.  _

_ “You want to play dirty, sister?” Lex growled. He grabbed Lena’s boots and pulled her twitching form towards him, sliding her on the tile. He straddled her, holding her arms down with his legs and wrapped his hands around her throat. “Then let’s play.” _

Kara sat up awake with a gasp, her heart racing as if she had sprinted many kilometers in a single second. Her hands shook wildly as she gathered her bearings, looking around sporadically. Cool air hit her cheeks and she realized she had been crying . . . 

Was that real? Was that happening right now? Was it something to happen in the near future?   


Winn had told her of Lena’s mission, and she had spoken to Lena herself, and it was something that needed to be done, and by her alone. But . . . but not at the cost of her own life. 

Kara cast out her senses. If Lena were wearing the Kryptonite handcuffs, it would be hard to sense her, but . . . 

Kara let out a relieved sigh when she sensed Lena’s lifeforce. She was alive, and not yet in danger, but that vision hadn’t been a mistake, nor was it just a nightmare. She had to hurry. She had to go help Lena before it was too late. 

But . . . the Kryptonian froze, looking back at the sleeping form of Alex Danvers. No, she couldn’t just leave now. As much as she wanted to . . . she needed to do this. It’s what she came there to do. 

As if the universe heard her dilemma, Alex hummed in her sleep and began to stir. Before long, she was blinking in the faint light of the nearby lamp and shifting so that she could see who else was in the room with her. 

“K . . . Kara?” the woman croaked. 

Kara couldn’t help the choked sob that slipped past her lips. “Alex . . . Alex I . . .”

_ “I’m sorry! I . . . I made a mistake, it was all my fault and I learned! I won’t . . . I promise I won’t do it again! I learned and I serve only you and the Empire and I wouldn’t ever do anything to jeopardize that! I . . . I love you!” _

_ Kara’s pleas echoed in the large chamber, almost drowned out by the crowd of jeering aliens watching her stand pitifully alone in the giant, oval sand-pit.  _

_ Rhea sat at her seat, her face impassive, arms flat on her armrests. “You claim to love me?” she responded, her voice normal, but somehow cutting through the noise. “You claim to serve the Empire?!” She stared down at Kara with anger and disappointment in her eyes. “You say you have learned, but you do not know the meaning of the word. But you will. If you live, you will have learned.” Rhea lifted a hand. “Open up the gates!” _

_ Kara spun as the sound of metal grating on metal filled the room and the cheers and shouts and jeers increased exponentially in volume.  _

_ “You’re about to fight an army of recently armed prisoners who have all been promised their freedom if you are dead.” Rhea sounded almost bored. “You want my forgiveness? You do not deserve it.” _

_ But Kara had stopped listening as the wave of aliens reached her. All she could hear were the cracking of bones as she fought with her fists to keep herself standing.  _

Alex looked down and to the side, her face cast in shadow, and Kara ran a frustrated hand through her hair, trying to keep her tears at bay. “Alex I . . .,” she made her way to the seat beside the bed and sat down, taking Alex’s hand in both of hers. “Alex I’m so,  _ so  _ sorry. I don’t . . . there’s nothing I can say that will make up for the things I’ve done, but I promise I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. You’re . . . you’re my  _ sister,  _ and up until recently,” Kara hated the way her lip and chin trembled, “I had forgotten what that meant. I thought you were dead and I was ready to do whatever it took to get you back and . . . and it scared me. I didn’t know I . . .” she let loose a bitter sob. “Alex, please . . .  _ please  _ find it in you to forgive me,” she let her tears flow freely. “I know I don’t deserve it, I . . . I never did but —”

Her voice was muffled and cut short and her eyes widened impossibly wide as Alex yanked her hand away and grabbed the Kryptonian’s shirt and yanking her forwards. She enveloped Kara in a fierce embrace, and her sister immediately began to cry freely, her body wracking with sobs as she wrapped her arms around her sister. 

“Kara,” Alex’s voice was thick with emotion, “all I ever wanted was my sister back. And you came back to me.” She tightened her hold around the Kryptonian. “I love you  _ so much.”  _

She let loose her own emotional sob, a smile pulling on her lips as she buried her face into blonde hair. “You deserve love, Kara. You deserve it.”

* * *

 

**Luthor Ship — Rao System**

The shock was like a splash of cool water onto her senses. Lena felt herself take control again just as Lex’s hands were wrapping around her neck. She bucked her hips and twisted her body to the side powerfully, setting him off balance.

With a grunt and a forceful shove, she had freed herself from her brother’s weight. Lena gasped for air and lunged towards the nearest guard, taking him down. 

“Shoot her!” Lillian’s barking voice reached her ears. 

Suddenly everything exploded into chaos. Lena grabbed the soldier’s blaster and shot down the nearest few guards before launching herself behind a jutting piece of machinery. She flinched as the blaster fire rammed into the control panel she’d pushed herself up against. 

Lena let out a groan of frustration, panting as her mind raced to think of an idea. She needed her cuffs off.  _ What would Kara do?  _

Lena dismissed the thought almost immediately. Kara would zap her chains with some lasers from her eyes, if she even had enough strength to stand with the kryptonite handcuffs touching her skin. She looked down at the gun in her hands and blinked. 

The console behind her exploded in a large plume of smoke and sparks and Lena ducked, covering her head.    


_ “Get her!”  _ Lex screamed, his voice wild. 

“I hate this,” Lena muttered under her breath. She pulled the gun directly between her wrists so that the chain was pulled tight over the barrel and with a grimace, turning her face away, she strained, pushing her thumbs down on the trigger. 

The immediate slack in her cuffs made her breath out a long sigh of relief. Lena stood and felt the Force reconnect with her, and she soaked it in. She saw the group of soldiers in front of her and began to run towards them, putting her thumb on her belt as she went. 

Just as Lena slid on the ground between the two and used the Force to throw them, she heard a faint beeping noise. She clenched her jaw in determination. Her signal had been sent out, and knowing Winn, he was already sending backup.

“All of this and for what?” Lex shouted as Lena took down another guard, stealing his blaster and shooting down another two. His voice echoed in the large room. “For some  _ Force-user  _ who belongs to a dead planet?”

Lena dove behind another large piece of machinery as a huge explosion lit up the place where she had just been standing. She swore aloud and peeked around the edge to see a large, armored soldier with what looked to be some sort of grenade launcher.

“She’s more powerful than any other Jedi alive, and you know it, Lex!” she shouted back, firing towards the general direction of the heavily armed support.

“Now, dear sister, just because she’s  _ pretty _ doesn’t mean she gets off so easily,” Lex taunted.

“You think I’m pretty?” a wry voice sounded from beside her. Lena whirled around from where she had been looking around for a good shot and found herself face-to-face with a smirking Kara. 

Lena frowned. “Please tell me you’re actually here.”

Kara shook her head, serious as the ground nearby shook with the concussion of another blast. “I’m on my way though. I knew you were in trouble before you sent the distress signal. Stay safe —”

“You say ‘Jedi’ as if that’s supposed to bring goodness into her,” Lex snarled.

Lena popped out from behind the console and took a quick breath and focusing on the Force before aiming and shooting. At the last minute, she pulled back as another grenade exploded where she had been, followed shortly by a roar of pain and the sound of a body hitting the floor. 

“But you don’t even know the  _ worst  _ of it.” Lex’s voice came from somewhere dangerously close and she rounded the large machinery with her blaster up and ready only to find herself facing Lex, the man holding a gun at her as well. Lillian was standing beside him, her hand wrapped around a small device with a few buttons on it. 

“Lena,” Kara breathed from behind her. Lena waved her hand, hoping Kara would get the hint and let her handle the situation. 

“She’s not a  _ part  _ of the Empire anymore, Lex,” Lena retorted.

“So are you. But that doesn’t make you any less  _ Luthor,”  _ Lillian said, lifting her chin, her thumb swiping over the device. 

“What are they trying to say?” Kara asked aloud, slowly. 

“Do you have a point you’re trying to get me to understand?” Lena snapped, her blaster never wavering, Lex’s mirroring hers.

“Krypton’s core,  _ Lena,  _ is stable.” Lex said that as if she were supposed to understand.

She blinked. “Ok . . . that’s good?”

Lillian smirked. “Investigations surrounding the destruction of Krypton cited an unstable core as the cause of its unfortunate end. Interestingly enough, the core is as healthy as any other planets’.”

Lena could feel Kara’s anxiety rising. “What are you saying?” she asked slowly. 

“We are saying,  _ sister,  _ that something caused the core to become unbalanced. Wouldn’t you know it: there was a specific family leading a project with their science guild that involved quite a bit of drilling and compound manipulations.” Lex furrowed his brow in mock forgetfulness. “You know, now that I think about it . . . yes, the records that we’ve managed to salvage from the Kryptonian archives also hint at a defensive countermeasure against unwanted alien life that manifested itself in, wouldn’t you know it, an airborne chemical.”

“No. No, they wouldn’t do that!” Kara protested from behind Lena. 

Lena took a step forward and Lex levelled his gun at her face in warning. She stopped and her lip curled in anger. “Why would the Kryptonians destroy their own planet?”

Lex laughed. “Why do any scientific failures happen? Lurking variables. Accidents. And,” his mouth pulled back in a shark’s smile, “unprecedented  _ hubris.” _

“If you’re lying —” Lena began, feeling Kara’s anxiety, fear, and horror building up inside of her. 

“Zor-El.” Lex’s voice echoed in a dangerously quiet room. 

Lena heard Kara’s breath hitch. 

“What?” Lena asked shortly.

“Zor. El,” Lex repeated himself. “The name was all over the authorization papers, and, ironically, the distress transmissions sent to the Old Republic.  _ Your  _ Jedi order.” He laughed and Lena felt something in her chest and stomach sink as she felt Kara’s despair bubbling up. “Who, in case you didn’t know, refused to help.”

“You —” Lena clenched her jaw, trying to manage her anger so she could focus, fighting the desire to shoot her brother in his smug face, “you  _ hate  _ the Kryptonians for their power, and yet you’re using  _ their  _ research to destroy planets and push your own agenda —”

_ “I am doing what needs to be done!”  _ Lex roared. 

_ “You’re doing what’s best for you!”  _ Lena shouted back. 

Her voice rang in the large room. 

“Kal-El was your  _ best  _ friend, Lex,” Lena said softly, hating the way something behind her eyes burned as she tried to keep tears from leaking out. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re just trying to get rid of his cousin because she reminds you of him. And he betrayed you.”

Lex’s face was red, his good eye blazing with anger, and a vein protruding from his forehead. “I would stop talking. Right. Now,” his voice was low and dangerous. 

“Lex,” Lillian said, stepping forwards and putting a consoling hand on her son’s shoulder. He shook it off. 

Lena lifted her chin. “I can feel your pain, Lex. You hurt because —”  _ Oh.  _ She understood now. “Lex . . .” she lowered her gun and her shoulders relaxed as she studied her brother in a different light, “Lex why do you feel guilty?”

Lex let out a roar and fired a shot at her. She heard Kara give a shout of warning and could only pivot and spin just fast enough so that the shot missed her body, but hit her gun. The blaster was ripped from her hands by the force of the shot and out of the corner of her eye she could see Lex preparing to shoot her again. 

Lena used the Force to jump in the air, pushing off her left foot so she spun sideways in the air, landing behind Lillian. The youngest Luthor didn’t hesitate to grab her adopted mother by the neck and hold her firmly against her front as a shield.

The entire exchange took seconds. 

“Lex,” Lena said slowly as she held Lillian firmly as the older woman struggled to escape, “Lex put the gun down before you do something stupid.”

Her brother’s entire being shook with rage. “Let her go.”

Lena shook her head. “You know I can’t do that.”

“Five minutes out,” Kara said from behind her, her voice unreadable. “Hold on.” And then her presence left.    


“I’m a good shot, Lena,” Lex snarled, drawing Lena’s attention to him. “We both know I could shoot you without leaving a scratch on Mother.”

It was true that though her reflexes were enhanced with the Force, with Lillian as her collateral, it was much harder for her to move as easily as she normally would. And she still had no clue where Lex had taken her saber.    

“Lex, let’s talk this out,  _ please,”  _ Lena tried. 

_ “Why should I?”  _ Lex bellowed. “You’re a  _ traitor  _ to this family! To  _ me!  _ After all we did for you and gave you —”

_ “All you gave me was pain!”  _ Lena yelled back. “You never  _ cared  _ about me!”   


Lex shook his head. “We both know that isn’t true.”

Lena clenched her jaw against memories of holochess games and quiet games of tag. Hugs in dark bedrooms and promises of a better life. “You stopped caring when Kal-El became your enemy.”

Lex’s eyes flickered a little to her right and he shifted his hands on his gun. “As far as I’m concerned, you are as well.”

Lena’s eyes widened as Lillian forcefully jerked her body to the side and she saw, almost as if in slow motion, the way Lex’s finger tensed on the trigger of his blaster. 

Suddenly there was a loud explosion to muffle the erratic blaster shots and a blur of blue and red shot into the room, bowling into Lena and Lillian. The youngest Luthor gasped as the air was knocked out of her and she lay on the tile, gasping and trying to regain herself. 

“Kara?” she managed. 

Her friend turned over from where she had rolled during her landing. “Lena, are you okay?” she asked, brow furrowed in concern. 

“I’m —” Lena felt the air leave her lungs again as she made to get off the ground, her eyes falling on the woman lying on the tile beside her, spread out like a ragdoll, her eyes wide open and . . . empty. 

“No.  _ No. NO!”  _ Lex’s voice rang in the room. He threw his blaster to the side and ran to Lillian, sliding on his knees as he gathered the dead woman in his arms. “What did you do?” his voice was wet and shaking. “What did you  _ DO?!” _ he roared at Kara Zor-El as she stood up, looking helplessly at Lillian’s body. 

“I . . . I —”

“It wasn’t her, Lex,” Lena said grimly as she stood up, not being able to directly look at her adopted mother’s body quite yet. She focused on Lex’s face and the pure  _ fury  _ that shone from his entire person. She nodded meaningfully down at Lillian and saw Lex slowly follow her gesture.  

The evidence of the blaster shot on her chest was evidence enough of what had happened. Kara had saved Lena, but in doing so, made Lillian the recipient of Lena’s intended fate. 

“I,” Lex began in a shaky, low voice, “ _ will. Kill. You.” _ His eyes slowly lifted to meet Kara’s. 

Lena had never seen a man so affected by anger and grief all at once. Lex was already a dangerous and wild man, but now there were no consequences. Another bellow of rage escaped his mouth as he dove towards Kara but the Kryptonian swiped her arm, and he was sent flying into the prototype of the new Medusa weapon, hitting it in an explosion of electrical sparks.

Kara then wasted no time in reducing the weapon completely useless with her laser vision, before turning towards Lena, her hand outstretched. “Lena, we have to go.”

As she spoke, alarms began to blare, lights began flashing red from all around them. 

Lena looked up to meet Kara’s gaze, feeling strangely emotionally numb.

Lillian was . . . dead. And Lex? Lex might as well be gone. She . . . she had failed at saving him. She now knew and understood she couldn’t. She never was able to. 

“Lena, it’s okay,” Kara pleaded, stepping closer and searching her face. “I’m here. We need to go.”

Lena searched Kara’s gaze and nodded once. The Kryptonian took it as a sign and began to lead Lena out. 

“Wait! My saber!” Lena stopped in her tracks. The alarms seemed to get louder. It wouldn’t be long before reinforcements stormed the large lab. 

“Hold on,” Kara said, closing her eyes and focusing. Her hand was outstretched and moving as if scanning the room. Her eyes snapped open as a familiar slim object flew into her hand. She clipped it on her belt next to her own saber.

“How did —”

“I just did,” Kara interrupted, clearly just as confused, but there was no time to waste. She faced Lena and met her gaze. “I apologize in advance.”

Just as the first wave of reinforcements arrived and began shooting at them, Kara wrapped her arms around Lena and shot off into the air through the large hole she had blasted through the walls. Lena’s arms wrapped tightly around Kara’s neck as they zoomed through the path that Kara had made in her hasty entry, and soon they were inside her ship.

Kara raced towards the control panel of the small ship and lifted the ramp, booting up the systems and setting their course. 

A different alarm blared loudly in the hangar and they both looked up to see the hangar doors slowly closing. They were going into emergency lockdown.

“Hold on!” Kara said through gritted teeth as she lifted the ship off the ground and blasted full speed into space, gunfire following them. 

It wasn’t long before they were in hyperspace and Kara stood and knelt on the floor in front of Lena who sat in her chair, looking dazed. 

“Lena,” Kara began, her hand reaching out and resting on the Luthor’s knee. 

Lena’s eyes seemed to focus on Kara. “I couldn’t save them. Either of them.” Her eyes began to water. “Kara, he wasn’t always this way. I . . . I don’t . . . I —” She let out a bitter sob, turning her face away.

Kara reached up hesitantly, pausing for a moment before putting her hand on the woman’s cheek much like Eliza had done when she had landed on Onderon not long ago. Lena leaned into the contact, her eyes shut tight as tears flowed from them. 

“It’s okay to cry,” Kara said softly into the almost silent ship, the faint humming of the engine a never-ending sound. “Sometimes,” her mind flashed back to when she had just arrived in the Resistance’s hands and had laid eyes on Eliza Danvers after so long . . . the words Lena had said to her, “sometimes that’s all we can do.”

Lena let out another sob and it wasn’t long before she had collapsed on the ground in front of Kara. The Kryptonian hesitated before pulling Lena towards her, wrapping her arms around the woman as her body shook with the loud, bitter sobs she let out.

Lena grasped Kara’s robes tightly, her face burrowed into the crook of her neck. 

And all Kara could think was that maybe it would’ve been better if Lex had died. Maybe that would have been easier than the failure Lena was feeling right now.

Her arms tightened around Lena as her eyes began to water. 

It wasn’t fair that the universe gave her her mother and sister back right before taking Lena’s mother and brother away from her, in more ways than one. 

The Kryptonian felt something in her shift that made her slightly uncomfortable, but also more calm. As if something had just clicked that made all the sense in the universe.

Kara turned her face into Lena’s hair, breathing in her scent as the woman continued to sob. She would help Lena, do all she could to make things better. For all the times Lena had saved her and seen her when no one else did . . .

She didn’t know it yet, but this was when Kara Zor-El began to realize she’d fallen in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The road to good intentions is paved in angst.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the small hiatus. I was enjoying my first week of summer break and honestly, just developing this into the long monster it is. 
> 
> SUPERCORP!
> 
> (oh and the plot is close to wrapping up. That too.)

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

Alex Danvers had been searching for her sister for a full twenty minutes, and so far the closest she had been to actually finding her had been Winn who had said that a droid had heard from an officer who had heard from J’onn who had heard from General Grant that Kara had taken some time for herself.

Whatever _that_ was supposed to mean.

She winced as a jolt went through her legs and she froze, turning her ankle this way and that to ease her discomfort. It had been a few weeks since her rescue, and she still couldn’t shake the residual effects of the carbonite.

It had been a shorter time than that since she and Kara had made amends and finally got closure on their past. They still had to work to reclaim their old relationship from their childhood, but it was a bond that would not be easily broken. Not if she could help it.

Alex turned a corner and frowned as she took in the bustling traffic of soldiers, pilots, techs and droids. Kara definitely wouldn’t be here. She pivoted and went towards the training wing where new soldiers were brought in.

Alex knew that it wasn’t her that Kara needed time from, which meant that the only logical alternative was Lena. She couldn’t help but notice when the two returned how . . . stony they both were. She knew something had happened on the mission, and Lena’s exhaustion and unreadable face made more sense when the young Luthor had briefly, and curtly, declared her mother dead before leaving the briefing room for ‘rest’.

But Kara . . .

Maggie had said it was because the two of them were basically destiny for each other, so they knew what each other felt. It was probably the most wishy-washy statement Alex had ever heard her lover make, but it sort of made sense. If what she knew of Lena and Kara’s Force-bond was accurate, it wasn’t far off. Especially with Kal-El and his agenda thrown into the mix . . .

Maggie had thrown in a hundred credits into their small betting pool that the two of them would confess their undying love (why was Maggie so dramatic _all_ the _kriffing_ time?) before the end of the war. Winn had placed a humble fifty credits into the pool saying that not only would it happen _before_ the war was done, but that it would be _Lena_ to confess first. Mon-El had bet against Winn’s claims about confessions and refused to put a timestamp on it, and Barry . . . well, Barry had said the two would confess their undying love for one another (Alex scoffed aloud; it was like they were talking about a _fairytale_ or something) _before_ the war was over, but that they wouldn’t do anything about it or tell anyone until _after_ it was done. And he had showed off, capping off his oddly specific statement with the claim that Kara would confess first, smiled very smugly, before depositing a hundred and fifty credits.

Alex had scolded all of them before throwing in seventy five credits that none of them would be one hundred percent correct.

Despite all of their shenanigans surrounding her sister’s barely developed love-life, Alex didn’t think it was her connection to Lena that had made her put her walls up again. Kara had looked as if she had seen a ghost, and not only that, but that ghost or whatever it was, had made her _angry._ To the point where it was clear Kara did not trust herself around anyone else.

Once again cursing the deceptive size of the base and her indescribable need to check on her sister, she turned into the private training areas where officers went to blow off steam. It so happened that the Jedi’s training area was also located in the area as well.

Alex wasn’t surprised when she began to hear the faint sounds of fists hitting a punching bag carrying down the corridor. She nodded to the guards on duty and continued down the hall before opening a door into a medium-sized room.

In the center of it was her sister, her hands wrapped, her feet bare, her sleeveless undershirt soaked with sweat, her hair up, eyes focused, and _wow_ did Alex feel sorry for that punching bag.

The door closed softly behind Alex, but the click was enough to tell Kara of her presence, not that Alex thought her sister _didn’t_ know she had entered. She’d learned as much as she could about Kryptonian Force-users from J’onn. Kara, if she wanted, could know _exactly_ where Alex was, whenever she wanted to.

Kara lowered her arms, adjusting the wrapping on her hands as she panted, avoiding Alex’s gaze.

Alex cocked an eyebrow and leaned up against the wall. “You want to talk about it?”

Kara shrugged and shook her head. “I . . . I don’t even know where to begin.” She threw her hands up in an exasperated gesture, turning her head to look at Alex. The movements were very familiar, even though Kara had been but thirteen last Alex had seen them.

Alex nodded towards the punching bag. “You seemed to have found _somewhere.”_

Kara gave her a wide-eyed look of desperate exasperation and Alex sighed. She pushed herself off the wall and stepped closer to her sister who looked down at her fidgeting hands.

“Kara.” Alex put her hands on her sister’s, stilling them. Kara looked up, eyes wide. “You can talk to me.”

Her sister sighed, removing her hands from Alex’s before throwing her hands in the air, beginning to pace. “I _really_ don’t know where to start!” she said, exasperated. “Maybe with how Lex Luthor designed the ru — _red kryptonite_ that Rhea used to give me to actually carry me through my missions. Or how my _parents_ were actually in charge of creating the first prototype for the Medusa weapon. Or, I don’t know, the Jedi ignored Krypton’s call for aid because they weren’t _actually_ under attack?!”

“Kara —,” Alex tried to placate her sister, but Kara seemed to have opened the floodgates to her thoughts.

“Maybe the fact that I _just_ got you and Eliza back and I don’t know what to do with that! Or the knowledge that I will eventually _have_ to face Mon-El’s mother and the literal _Empress_ of our stupid galaxy!” Kara was now gripping her hair, her eyes a little wild.

Alex stepped forwards, concerned. “Kara, maybe you need to —”

“Or, I know!” Kara whirled around to face Alex. “How about the fact that my parents single-handedly destroyed _Krypton?!”_

Her voice rang out in the room, and the two sisters were left staring at each other. Alex’s eyes went wide as she registered Kara’s words, and Kara’s eyes went wide as she realized she had disclosed information she had meant to hold close.

_“What.”_

The room went dangerously silent, and Alex could practically _feel_ the way the tension thickened. She watched with wide eyes and raised eyebrows as her sister dropped to the ground, head between her knees.

“Lex was doing experiments on Krypton’s core, and he found that it was completely . . . stable.” Kara’s voice was muffled, and defeated.

Alex slowly lowered herself down so that she was sitting toe to toe with the Kyrptonian. She nudged her sister’s foot gently with her boot and Kara just sighed.

“I’m guessing he referenced the Luthor’s historical archives,” Alex said quietly into the silence.

Kara nodded hopelessly.

“I’m angry,” Kara stated, looking up, her eyes dry and surprisingly steeled. “I am _furious_ and I don’t know what to do about it. I . . .”

“Why?”

“What?” Kara asked, not expecting Alex’s question.

“Why are you angry?” her sister elaborated.

Kara sighed and began picking at invisible particles on the ground by her feet. “I just . . . for so long I’ve had this memory and image in my head of Krypton and my family. They were always so strong and reliable and . . . and safe.” She wrapped her arms around her knees. “Always.”

Alex hummed in understanding. “And it’s not at all about you being afraid of not being able to control your anger?”

Kara looked up at Alex in surprise. The older Danvers let out a laugh. “Kara, you’re still my _sister.”_ She looked at the blonde fondly. “You get angry when you’re afraid. It’s like . . . your sith _thing.”_

Kara sighed and ducked her head, shrugging her shoulders. “What happens if I lose it?” Alex opened her mouth to respond but Kara cut her off. “No, I’m serious! Despite what Kal has taught me and the way he’s raised me up again, I just . . . it’s like the darkness that Rhea allowed me to grow has been festering and is just _waiting_ for an opportunity to come out and I,” she sighed and rubbed her forehead furiously, “I don’t want to hurt anyone again. I . . . I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself if I did.”

Alex sat for a couple of seconds, watching her sister’s frame hunch in on itself as the burdens she had been silently placing on herself came to the surface. The older Danvers smiled softly at her sister, remembering a time when a young Kara would sit on the roof of their house on Midvale, staring up at the stars, whispering in a language that lived on only in her.

Alex softly pressed a thumb to the space between Kara’s eyebrows and smirked when Kara looked up at her, confused.

“Crinkle,” Alex explained warmly. “It gives you away when you’re stressed or confused.”

The captain watched her sister with a warmth settling in her chest as Kara couldn’t contain the smile that came onto her face as she ducked her head again. “I don’t —”

“Yes, you do, Kara Danvers,” Alex teased, pushing lightly on Kara’s forehead playfully. She relished in the sound of Kara’s chuckle in the room.

“Does my anger, this darkness in me, does it make me a bad person?” Kara asked softly after they had finished laughing and let silence settle into the room again. “My family had noble intentions: planetary defense, a new source of energy, and they still created the Luthors’ Medusa and . . . destroyed our planet,” she finished in a whisper.

Alex let out a bark of laughter, and her sister glared at her from where they were lying on the ground next to one another. Alex nudged Kara’s shoulder with her own and turned her head, looking at her sister with raised eyebrows. “You _do_ realize who you sound like, right?”

Kara opened her mouth in question and Alex snorted. “Dark hair. Annoyingly gorgeous. Sister of the man who ‘killed’ Kal-El. You literally stare at her every time she enters the same room as yo —”

 _“How_ do I sound like Lena?” Kara butted in, a little louder than necessary.

Alex smirked, catching on to her sister’s discomfort, filing it away for later to talk to Maggie about. “Seriously?” she asked. Alex saw the seriousness in her sister’s eyes and she shifted so she was propped up on one elbow. “It’s the family thing. You both seem to think that your family’s deeds somehow chart the legacy _you’re_ supposed to lead. But you both fail to miss the fact that you’re both your own people. Your parent’s actions and their intentions don’t determine yours.”

Kara sighed and stared at the ceiling. “They were supposed to be the good guys.” She shrugged half-heartedly. “It’s hard to see myself as good when everything around me isn’t.”

Alex grabbed Kara’s hand with hers. Waiting until Kara locked eyes with her. “Goodness is still there. As long as there are people standing for it, it is there. And you have us, Kara. Winn. Eliza. J’onn. Kal-El. Lena. Maggie. Me. We’re all fighting for it.” She leaned forward and brushed away a wayward tear from Kara’s cheek. “Your anger makes you a person, and unlike your time with the Empress, it was a righteous anger on behalf of those who held goodness and betrayed what it stood for.”

Kara smiled crookedly through her tears and nodded, sitting up and pulling Alex into a hug.

They were interrupted by a soft cough from the doorway. Alex turned and saw Maggie standing staring at both of them with a tenderness that she wished she could preserve for the rest of her life.

“Danvers. Little Danvers,” Maggie greeted them.

Alex didn’t miss how Kara didn’t correct Maggie this time and smiled at her lover.

“We just received word of a new wave of refugees who are more than ready and capable of fighting. General Grant wants to hold a meeting. I think we’re almost capable of launching and holding a full-scale attack.” Maggie jerked her head towards the door. “She wants you two there.”

“Even me?” Kara asked from behind Alex.

Maggie shot Kara a dimpled, crooked smile. “You’re our secret weapon and best shot at stopping the Empire for good. And, in case you didn’t know it, we all kind of like you now, Little Danvers, so, yeah, I think we want you there.”

Alex knew without turning around that Kara was looking at Maggie in awe. She had needed to hear those words, and Maggie had given them to her. Alex made a mental note to personally thank Maggie later. She had no idea what her doing for Kara meant to her.

When she turned around to see Kara’s mouth pulling back into a beaming smile, she couldn’t help the way her eyes welled up with tears. In a way, she was winning Kara back piece by piece, and it was more rewarding than she could’ve ever thought.

* * *

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

“We have two advantages that the enemy does not know about: our numbers, and our resources.”

Lena watched as Cat paced in front of the holoprojector, directing it so that the image of Onderon zoomed in onto the base, highlighting their landed aircraft and artillery. She glanced across the room and made quick eye-contact with Kara who gave her a brief smile before focusing back on the General.

Cat pressed a button and the image of Onderon gave way to a large data file, code appearing and quickly scrolling down infinitely fast.

“Mr. Schott has given us access to the Luthors’ computer data. We have visual on all ongoing projects and plans, but we have to assume that they have knowledge of our surveillance. Every action taken to isolate the Luthors will be done with great caution.” She nodded once at Winn who stood on the other side of the circle of people in the giant meeting room. Winn swallowed thickly, nodding back.

“For the first time since the Resistance formed all those years ago, we have enough people on our side to launch a full-scale attack. We have the ships and manpower to take on Coruscant and the Empire’s main fleet.” Cat scanned the crowd of officers and higher-ups with a steel gaze. “We cannot afford to waste this opportunity.”

She made sure everyone murmured their agreement before stepping away from the center projection, her place quickly taken by J’onn J’onzz.

Lena blinked in surprise, not realizing that her old master was going to lead the majority of the strategic momentum of the attack. However, as she watched the way he straightened his shoulders and furrowed his brow seriously, she internally acknowledged that she wouldn’t have been able to trust anyone else as much as she did him.

“We are preparing to fight a two-front battle,” J’onn began. “This means we cannot make mistakes. We are counting on each other.”

Lena felt Kara’s anxiety spike at the statement. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself, but she couldn’t help but attempt to send some sort of feeling of comfort towards the Kryptonian.

“One side will be a full-scale attack on the main headquarters on Coruscant. There will be air-support and there will be tactical teams on the ground. Our main focus will be their communications facility,” J’onn made a large sweeping motion with his arm and the holoprojector turned into a spinning image of Coruscant until it zoomed in on a metropolitan area, a large building highlighted in orange, “their planetary shields,” another building glowed orange, “and the LuthorCorp headquarters where we believe a majority of manufacturing and tactical planning gets completed.”

Someone scoffed from behind Lena. “Yeah, that and who knows what else,” they said under their breath. Another soldier laughed softly at the man’s comment. Lena curled her fingers in a fist and squeezed before forcing herself to relax.

“There’s only so much the Empire can do to protect this planet without destroying it or compromising their resources elsewhere. We already know the Luthors . . .” he paused awkwardly before clearing his throat and continuing, _“Lex_ Luthor is still in the Rao system, and for all we know, if we move fast enough, he will be isolated enough from any resources he could use to serve as a real threat.” J’onn moved the map again as it changed to an image of the Imperial fleet. Lena could _feel_ the way Kara’s breath hitched and her heart skipped a beat at the sight. “Rhea’s personal fleet is en route to Coruscant from one of the outer rim sectors. If we intercept them as they stop to recharge their engines during their hyperdrive leap, we could effectively prevent a battle where we are hopelessly outnumbered. Most of our air support will be there. We’ll send in a tactical team to the main ships to shut down shields and communications. Then we’ll send in our firepower.”

He faced the group of officers, his mouth in a grim line. “I have all of yours and your divisions’ instructions sent to each of you personally. I expect you to brief them in full and have everyone ready to go at the established times.” He looked towards Kara and Alex. “Captain Danvers, I want you and Sawyer in charge of air-power. Danvers, you’re manning the Coruscant front, Sawyer, I want you at the helm on the Imperial fleet.”

Alex fell to attention and saluted J’onn, as Maggie stood next to her, her hands clasped behind her back. Both women gave an affirmative, and, if Lena didn’t know them, she’d assume they were perfectly fine taking the orders presented to them. But she knew them well, and even without the Force, she could see the fear behind their eyes.

“Master Allen and Mon-El will lead the tactical teams on Rhea’s main vessels while I will do the same on Coruscant. The different squads will answer to their team leaders who will answer to us.” He made eye contact with Barry who stood on the far side of the room behind Winn. Barry gave a small salute with two fingers to his brow, winking at Lena when he caught her eye. “Mr. Schott.” J’onn’s sharp tone caused the shorter man to jump, startled. “You and Ms. Luthor will be completely in charge of LuthorCorp tech and Coruscant communications. I want you in there, I want you to be our ears and eyes on the ground. Your judgement on this front I trust more than anyone else, so I’m leaving it all in your hands.”

Lena made eye contact with her old master, and she swallowed, nodding her consent.

 _You’ve got this. I’m so proud of you._ J’onn’s voice in her head surprised her, but his words were enough to cause her to relax, just a bit.

“Kara Zor-El,” as J’onn said the name aloud before turning towards where the Kryptonian was, the entire room seemed to swell with tension as the room seemed to grow eerily silent. He pivoted to address Kara directly. “You will —”

“I need to face Rhea,” Kara interrupted, her chin held high. Murmurs filled the room, but she never wavered. “I’m ready to face her, and I know it’s what I need to do. And,” she hesitated a brief moment, “I need to do it alone.”

J’onn stared at Kara and for a long moment, the entire room watched and waited for the two Jedi to say something, but they just stared. Lena could feel Kara’s emotions fluctuating in the Force, and she knew they were talking to one another.

Eventually J’onn took a step back. “Very well. Kara Zor-El is in charge of detaining the Empress.”

“But she won’t be alone,” Alex said from beside Kara stepping forwards. “I’m going with her.”

More murmurs and Kara’s loud “Alex!” didn’t go unnoticed by Lena.

“Captain Danvers, you have a duty —”

“And with all due respect, General Grant,” Alex interrupted, “we have plenty of officers who are capable of doing what I am. This is our only chance to detain the Empress, and I will not send my sister in there alone to do it.”

Cat glared at Alex from where she’d come to stand beside J’onn. The two women glared without standing down and J’onn rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Danvers, go with Kara. Olsen,” he addressed a tall, broad-shouldered dark man who stood straighter as he was addressed, “you’re taking air-support at the Imperial Fleet.”

“Yes, sir,” Olsen replied in a smooth, deep voice.

“Alex,” Kara began.

“No. I’m not letting that . . . that _monster_ get to you again.” Alex said fiercely. “She will _not_ tear our family apart again.”

A loud sigh broke everyone’s distracted murmuring. Everyone turned towards the center projection where Cat Grant stood with her arms crossed. She raised her eyebrows. “Oh? Are we done? Fantastic. In three weeks we start maneuvering troops, so I suggest you all go to your mousy little squadrons and start briefings and training. I’m sure with all the extra hands on base, we can get more than a few new recruits.” She sighed again. “Stay alive and watch each other’s backs. My son didn’t die for you lot to lose so close to winning.”

The room fell into a respectful and solemn silence as her words sank in. It wasn’t a surprise, the depression Cat had gone into after the news of her son’s death. She had disappeared for days in her quarters with Alex and J’onn to carry command before she had appeared one morning ready for duty as if nothing had happened, and no one had been brave enough to say anything.

Lena suddenly felt a wave of self-loathing and she didn’t have to wonder for a second where it came from. It was no secret who had personally seen the end of General Cat’s son. All eyes fell on Kara as the Kryptonian focused on her feet.

Cat continued as if nothing had changed. “Three weeks. Now,” she waved her hand dismissively, “go and . . . do whatever you robust, sweaty soldiers do.”

* * *

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

“LuthorCorp tech and Coruscant communications?!” Winn exploded, startling Lena as she strode through the bustling corridor trying to find J’onn. Who, conveniently, was being suspiciously . . . silent.

She had been deep in thought about many things before a door had hissed open, letting loose Winn Schott in all of his nervous energy, grasping a holo-tablet with white knuckles.

“It’s like he _thinks_ we have unlimited resources! We only have two teams of communications and a _single_ core data analyst division!” Winn looked frightened now, instead of just nervous. Lena decided she has to say something to assuage the man.

“I think he wants you in charge of appointing people to positions. Considering what we have that no one else does, I’d bet J’onn and Cat really want is monitoring my family’s activity in case they pull a surprise maneuver on us.” She stopped at a relatively empty intersection, facing Winn with concern in her eye.

Winn huffed, throwing his hands up. “I just don’t feel . . . _ready._ Like. I’m going to get there and just freeze or something. I’m not like you or Kara or Alex.”

Lena understood the feeling. And while she was flattered Winn thought of her as someone who could take action with great courage, she often felt just as inadequate as he was at that very moment. Her _mother_ just got killed by her own brother because her . . . friend had swooped in the last possible moment to save her life.

Lex had earned his reputation of ruthlessness and cunning. He was now fueled by an incomprehensible rage which made him very _very_ dangerous and J’onn knew it. Deep down, Lena knew it was her destiny to put her family in its place. That didn’t mean she didn’t feel ready. Or unafraid.

“You know why J’onn and Cat put me with you?” she asked Winn softly.

Winn scoffed. “Because you’re a mega genius.”

Lena roller her eyes. Winn _literally_ invented better engines for fun. He was just as smart as she was. _“No._ Because he knows that if it were up to me, I would hide and run from my family for the rest of my life instead of facing them.”

Winn raised his eyebrows. “You think J’onn wants you to _kill_ your brother?!”

“No!” Lena couldn’t help but look around to see if anyone overheard them. “No, but I do think that’s Cat’s intention. J’onn is more of a ‘make you face your demons so you come out stronger’ type of person.”

Winn was quiet for a long moment. He looked up at Lena, his eyes still scared but his shoulders squared. “Ok. Ok well you won’t be alone. I’ll put Vasquez on point for communications with air support and someone else will take tactical. You and me, we’re taking the Luthors down. For good.”

Lena cocked an eyebrow. “All of them?” She couldn’t help but tease him a little.

Winn sputtered awkwardly. “Well, not _all_ because you’re here, of course. And I guess not for _good_ good. Because. We don’t kill. I mean Kara _used_ to but she’s good now — and I’m going to stop while I’m ahead.” He coughed nervously into his fist while Lena laughed.

“Look, in all seriousness, I have a plan that may be able to take them out from the ground up. Inside out. However you want to praise it,” Winn said resolutely.

Lena modded. “Ok. Go get your point men and make sure to get a list of new recruits that we can train on basic tech and communications. I still need to find J’onn.”

Winn smiled grimly and went to walk away before pausing. He turned on his heel and enveloped Lena in a warm hug that took her off guard. She hesitantly reciprocated. Her arms slowly wrapping around the man’s back.

“You’re good at helping people realize they’re not alone. Just remember that there are people who want to do the same for you.”

Lena didn’t know what to say to that, and she just gasped as her friend stepped back with a warm smile and walked off as if he hadn’t said yet another profoundly wise thing.

She shook her head to clear it and continued on her search for her master. It wasn’t until she had searched everywhere she’d ever been with the man that she had given up, climbing to the highest level of the base before coming out on the very top where some lookouts were posted. The trees around them blocked most of the area from sight and the healthy rays of sunlight shone in the humid air like tiny spotlights on a slightly mossy stage.

To her surprise, she found her old master sitting in a far corner in the shade of a tree, reading some sort of document.

“Are you going to watch, or are you going to join me?” J’onn asked without looking up.

Lena hesitated before walking over to J’onn and sitting beside him and glanced over at the file he was looking at. Much to her surprise it was an old news article someone had written about a lost colony that had been destroyed in the initial uprising of the present-day Empire.

“I assume you wanted to find me if you ventured up here,” J’onn said wryly as he closed the holo-tablet and looked at Lena with warmth in his eyes.

“I had actually given up on finding you,” Lena admitted sheepishly. “I came up here for some fresh air and found you here.”

J’onn hummed, looking at the scenery around them. The guards continued to dutifully ignore them. “I often come up here when I need space to think. So much happens that many things get pushed to the background that shouldn’t.”

Lena looked down at her hands. “Do . . . do you think this could work? This last attack?”

“It’ll be our first battle since the Resistance began,” J’onn said with an eyebrow raised. “We haven’t ever had the numbers to do more than small, strategic skirmishes across the galaxy until now.”

They sat in comfortable silence.

“What was that article you were reading?” Lena asked timidly. She had a feeling it was something personal. She couldn’t recall ever seeing J’onn reading any sort of news from the Core planets like that before.

J’onn sighed heavily. “Just a reminder I always keep on hand. It’s easy to lose yourself in the middle of a war. To forget why you even began in the first place.”

Lena shifted under his steady gaze. “Is . . . is that the colony you came from?”

J’onn didn’t answer for a long time. So long, in fact, Lena thought he hadn’t heard her or had forgotten she had even asked.

“Yes,” J’onn said softly. “It’s the colony my entire family came from. My entire . . . _people.”_

“Oh.”

J’onn put his hand on Lena’s knee and she looked up into what she could only describe as a fatherly gaze. “I had lost hope, you know. That making peace in the name of my people wasn’t possible. But then you came along and you had so much . . . _heart,_ it was hard to ignore the possibilities of your power. And then you had a personal Force connection with Kara Zor-El of all people,” he saw Lena’s surprised look and laughed. “Lena, I know what goes on with my apprentices, _especially_ when they can speak with our enemy’s strongest weapon personally.”

“You never stopped it,” Lena said more than asked. She was trying to wrap her mind around this revelation that J’onn had _known_ this entire time that she and Kara were very strongly connected by the Force.

J’onn shrugged. “I never thought I had to. Kal-El and I . . . we are close friends. In the time of the Old Republic, he and another old friend formed a group of us from very special backgrounds with very particular Force abilities. When the Jedi first received the prophecy of balance, it was Kal and our team that heard it first. But then, there was no need for balance because we thought we had already attained it. When civil wars started breaking out and Rhea and the Luthors rose into power and the Republic transformed into the Empire, well.”

Suddenly, J’onn looked many years older, and Lena was taken aback by how much this had weighed on her master.

“When Kal revealed he was still alive, I don’t think I have ever felt so much . . . hope,” J’onn admitted. “At first, I was sure you were the One who would help bring balance, and in a way you have.”

Lena blinked. She had briefly heard this from Kal. “So . . . isn’t _Kara_ the One to fulfill the prophecy?”

J’onn chuckled. “That’s the thing about Jedi prophecies: they’re really quite clever. I was talking with Kal not too long ago while you were in the Rao system, and we revisited the original prophecy stored in some old Jedi scrolls Kal had managed to keep safe with him.” J’onn looked at Lena with a half-smile. “It never says anything about any individual. Not specifically.”

“Wha —”

“‘Great power will bring balance to the Force’, never a single person, not a ‘chosen one’, but a great power.” J’onn sighed again. “I still do not know what that is or how it will come into fruition, but I do believe that you and Kara are two parts of it.”

They were silent once more and the sound of birds filled the space with their twittering harmonies.

“Kara summoned my saber. On Lex’s ship when . . . when Lillian was killed,” Lena tapered off, not wanting to revisit the memory. “I . . . I hadn’t tried to summon it, so it wasn’t like I _couldn’t,_ and I know it’s not _impossible_ to do such a thing with someone else’s saber, but there was something . . . something very familiar about the way she did it, J’onn.” She looked up at him and found his dark eyes searching hers, curious. “She didn’t even think about it.”

J’onn hummed. “That is very interesting. It could be because of her Kryptonian power . . .”

“But?” Lena asked.

“But . . . Kal had always had trouble summoning my saber simply due to the way I had meditated on the crystal. My people are very mentally oriented — it’s hard to force your way into such a psychic bond,” J’onn explained with his hands thrown wide. “Unless she had a part in forming your crystal, that shouldn’t happen. It could be because of your Force-bond,” he offered in explanation.

Lena sighed. “I had thought the same thing, but something about that doesn’t make sense and I’m not sure what.”

Something in J’onn’s expression shifted and Lena didn’t know what had just happened, but she suddenly narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Before she could ask anything, J’onn pointed out towards the horizon above the treeline of the immense jungle.

“Look. The sunsets are my favorite thing to watch here.”

Lena smiled, making a mental note to talk to her master later. For now, they were comfortable sitting in the brief calm of the sunset. The quiet before the storm, pretending as if they weren’t about to enter a conflict that they may not come out of.

* * *

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

Kara didn’t know what she was looking for, but much like everyone else who had been in the briefing meeting, she had left with a lot of nervous energy. The Kryptonian had wandered around, and after finding Alex in a serious conversation with Maggie that she _definitely_ didn’t want to get in the middle of, Kara had started her climb towards the top of the base where she had sensed Lena’s presence.

There was something about the Luthor that brought her anxieties and insecurities to a low. It was . . . just Lena. She didn’t even have to say anything, and she just . . .

But Lena had been quiet since Lillian’s death. Quiet since she had broken down in Kara’s arms and then allowed the Kryptonian to fly them back to base. She had quietly given her report to Cat and J’onn before . . . leaving.

Kara knew that Lena wasn’t intentionally avoiding Kara. But the Kryptonian didn’t want to push any boundaries nor did she want to make Lena uncomfortable. She knew what it meant to grieve, even if Lena didn’t want to acknowledge her unease as grief over her mother.

Instead of continuing up the stairs, Kara took a random turn down the corridor and found herself in an unfamiliar hallway. The area was polished, and by the quiet hum of the electricity and the murmurs behind the closed doors, she was in an office area.

Kara wasn’t even aware the rebel base _had_ an office wing, but it made sense in the grand scheme of things.

She was walking through an intersection of the halls, looking around her curiously, the sound of her robes trailing behind her and her boots on the tile the only sound echoing around her. Then she felt it and it made her stop in her tracks. The faintest breeze in her hair.

Kara took a step back and looked to her right and saw a long hallway, at the end of which was what looked to be a small balcony of sorts.

Kara walked closer to said balcony, curious as to who had designed such a place. When she stepped out, she couldn’t help but pause to take in the view, her mouth dropping open a bit at the sight.

Jungle, hills, greenery. It was very beautiful and in the darkness of twilight, it was mesmerizing. The balcony didn’t have a strategic position on the base, other than being obscured by the jungle so that no one knew it was here, which meant that it was a place of escape.

“I see you’ve found my favorite place on base,” a woman said from somewhere behind her.

Kara whirled around to see Cat Grant sitting cross-legged in a chair in the corner of the balcony with a cup of tea.

“General Grant —”

Cat waved her hand, her nose scrunched in distaste. “Not here. Just ‘Cat’ is fine, thank you very much.”

Kara paused. “Of course. Cat.”

She stood there awkwardly fiddling with her hands and Cat just sighed and rolled her eyes. “Can I help you, Kara Zor-El, or did you come to bother me with your stellar nothingness?”

“I . . . I just . . . I,” Kara stammered before catching herself. She took a deep breath and started over. “I didn’t mean to find you, I just . . . was wandering around and stumbled on this place, that’s all.”

Cat hummed. “So, where’s the Rao system?”

The question took Kara off guard. “What?”

“Come now. The Rao system. Your home?” Cat scoffed and looked over the brim of her teacup at Kara with raised eyebrows. “I know you know where it is at all times. If I had lost a home, I would make sure it was on my radar, so I’ll ask again: where’s Rao?”

Kara wasn’t sure how to respond to Cat’s direct way of speaking, though it wasn’t unpleasant. Too many people have either walked on eggshells around her or lied to her face, so the bluntness was not unwelcome.

Kara scanned the sky, her brow furrowed as she searched the night sky. It didn’t take long for her eyes to find familiar patterns. She slowly stretched out her arm and pointed. “There.”

Cat rose from her seat and squinted, carefully following Kara’s hand. “I don’t know if you don’t know, but my eyes are not your eyes.”

Kara smiled sheepishly. “You can easily see the twin suns of Tatooine. Go to the left a little and you’ll see the green of the Endor system’s stars. Right above it is the faint flicker of light. That’s Rao.”

Cat followed her instructions, squinting. She hummed as her eyes found what Kara was speaking of. “Your eyesight is impeccable.”

Kara shrugged.

“So why are you out here?” Cat said into the silence.

Kara blinked. “I told you, I found this place on accident —”

Cat rolled her eyes. _“No,_ why are you _here._ Hiding.”

“I-I’m not _hiding,”_ Kara scoffed.

“You’re up here, wandering, alone I might add, with a past that everyone knows about and you have to redeem, and you’re scared you might fail so _tell me_ Kara Zor-El why you’re hiding,” Cat said, levelling her gaze straight into the blonde’s. She hadn’t taken a single breath during that entire sentence and Kara was rather impressed.

“I . . .,” Kara paused as Cat’s eyebrows lifted and she sighed. “You’re right. I’m hiding. And I’m scared. And I’m . . . upset. But I just don’t know what to do about it.”

Cat hummed, taking another sip of her tea. “Do you really not know what to do?”

“Excuse me?”

“Do you really not know what to do,” Cat repeated herself, “or are you in denial that what’s coming for you may be unavoidable?”

“I don’t — I —” Kara sighed again and leaned against the metal railing with her forearms. “Both. I guess? I just have so much that is expected of me and so much that I’ve done I . . .” she hated the way tears welled behind her eyes and she blinked to keep them away. “I just got my family back and more than anything else they love me and they shouldn’t, and I’ve done so many things that have hurt so many people because I believed it was the right thing to do and _Rhea_ knows _exactly_ how to make it so I don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong and then there’s _Lena_ —”

“Breathe while you’re still going,” Cat said, exasperated, rolling her eyes. She finished her tea and put the cup on her chair, before striding over next to the anxious Kryptonian who was focused on keeping her eyes forward. Cat mirrored Kara’s position and put her elbows on the railing. “I think you fail to give yourself enough credit.”

Kara scoffed. Alex had same the exact same thing.

“But that’s not what you want to hear, is it?” Cat sighed again. She was pretty good at that. “You can’t escape destiny, you know. And I’m not talking about this . . . Jedi mumbo-jumbo prophecy stuff your cousin is so hell-bent on. I’m talking about _life,_ Kara. Direction.”

Kara wiped her eye and glanced at Cat, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Well,” Cat drawled, shrugging, staring up at the stars, “much like the trajectory of a star, you have a general path your life will take that people expect of you _and_ that has been shaped by the events of your past. _Unlike_ a star, you have a few choices you can make along the way to make your trajectory just a little different.”

“And if I choose wrong?” Kara challenged Cat, her tone bitter.

“But you won’t. And you know why, Kara Zor-El _Danvers?”_ Cat began, facing Kara squarely, one arm crossed, the other elbow resting on her wrist. Kara gaped at the use of her name in its entirety from every part of her as Cat plowed on. “Because you simply have too much to lose. Too many things are very valuable to you, and you know it. You,” she pointed at Kara with her loose hand, “have already lost too much. Now, whether that’s because of you or extraneous circumstances,” she waved her hand around noncommittedly. “My point is you have more at stake than ever, and it’s scary. Frankly, I’ve felt that before, I know exactly what that’s like, and it’s _scary._ But _you_ have something that will always outpace, outrace, outnumber the fear, and that’s the people beside you and behind you.”

Kara blinked back tears. “I just . . .,” she stopped herself, hating how watery her voice was, “I don’t want to let them down. I’ve let so many people down. I’ve . . .” she swallowed.

“I noticed you didn’t correct me or move when you were called by your full name,” Cat observed aloud. She leaned her hip against the railing. “You have begun the pain-staking process of forgiving yourself, and thankfully, you began with your family. _Kriff,_ Captain Danvers was getting _so_ annoying talking about you _all_ the damn time.” She sighed. “But you are both parts Danvers and Zor-El. You are of Krypton, but you’re also of Midvale. You are of Rhea’s making, but also of Eliza’s and your birth family, and you don’t have to choose any part of you because, frankly? They’re _all_ you.”

“No one will forgive me for what I’ve done,” Kara choked out, wrapping her arms around herself, feeling a couple of tears rolling down her cheeks. “I . . . your _son._ I . . . I didn’t just kill him, I . . . and I _enjoyed_ it. _Kriff,_ I thought he _deserved_ it.”

Cat released a shaky breath and gripped the railing tightly, staring into the distance. “I saw his body. What was left of him.”

They stood in silence, the wind whipping around them, licking the edges of their face, the loose strands of hair.

“My first mission in a position of command, I got over seventy percent of my soldiers slaughtered. No, don’t worry, you weren’t there. It was far before you were even . . . a thought, really.” Cat’s jaw worked a bit. “I’ve had to live with that. Gods, the calls, the insults, the suspension . . . The truth is people are ruthless, and you can’t expect everyone to be on your same track of mind. It’s impossible, but that’s life. And it hurts,” Cat admitted, “it hurts like hell, but you have to show them you’re strong enough to take it.”

Kara let out a shaky breath, looking down at her hands as she processed Cat’s words.

“You have people who care about you,” Cat said softly. “Not just people, but a certain Luthor certainly seems to have your best interests at heart.”

Kara looked up sharply at Cat’s almost knowing tone and found the General’s face impossible to read.

Cat sighed. “You have a few weeks to worry. For now, go . . . _enjoy_ yourself or something.” She waved her hand again.

Kara blinked. “Wha —”

“Winn Schott said something earlier about some game or another. Frankly, I don’t _game._ Especially with him and his friends. But,” Cat looked at Kara warmly, “he seemed very interested in making sure you were there.”

Kara nodded slowly. “I . . . I guess I should.”

Cat jerked her head towards the doorway and Kara hesitated before walking.

“Cat, I . . .” Kara turned around to see Cat looking at her expectantly. “Thank you,” she eventually settled on.

Cat nodded, once. “For the record, while my son can never be replaced or brought back, I do not think less of you because of it.”

It was as close of a statement of forgiveness as she was going to give, and yet, it still helped to make Kara feel much better.

* * *

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

**Lower Deck**

“And the crowd goes wild as Winn Schott once again takes home the winning prize of _undefeated once more!”_ Winn made fake crowd noises from where he stood on the couch and everyone playfully booed his antics.

“Get down from there, Winn. You look like an idiot,” Maggie scolded him, throwing a piece of food at his face.

Winn put a hand to his chest, indignant. “You’re just jealous of my genius.”

A deep laugh reverberated in the room. “Yeah,” James Olsen interjected. “Because _that’s_ all you got going for you right now, man.”

Alex bursted out into laughter at the look on Winn’s face. “Ok, Olsen, you can stay. I like him,” she said to Maggie loud enough for everyone to hear.

“But you didn’t like _me_ until I brought you liquor?” Mon-El protested from his seat, indignant.

“That’s right, princess!” Maggie shot back, cackling at the look on his face.

“Joke’s on you,” Mon-El snarked back. “Because _I_ know where the alcohol is and _you_ don’t. See where you are without me.”

“Damn it, he’s right,” Barry exclaimed from his corner. Lena took note of the way his hair was tousled on one side as if he had fallen sideways and his hair decided to stay flat. This man was definitely not used to drinking. “I think Mon-El is our favorite by default, Winn.”

Winn stepped down from the couch and plopped down so that he was sitting down again. “Tough crowd.”

Lena chuckled from next to him and patted his knee playfully. “I thought it was very charismatic.”

Winn scoffed, pushing her shoulder playfully. “Shut up.”

Lena let out a laugh that rang over the room as everyone else joined in, and suddenly she felt an almost tentative presence in the Force she hadn’t felt deliberately in what felt like forever. But it wasn’t just in the Force. She sat up and looked at the doorway to see Kara Zor-El standing there a little awkwardly, dressed down in a white undershirt and some military cargo pants. She shifted on her feet as the room realized someone new had arrived.

“Kara!” Winn exclaimed, excited. He jumped up and grabbed her in an enthusiastic hug.

“Hey, Little Danvers!” Maggie greeted the Kryptonian with a warm smile, holding up her bottle of alcohol in salutations.

“Winn had mentioned this was happening a while back I just . . . I had just remembered, so . . .,” she trailed off awkwardly.

Alex sighed, ever the eldest sister. “Come on, you dork,” she said waving Kara over. “Of course you’re welcome. Winn hasn’t shut up about you and neither has Lena.”

Kara’s gaze met Lena’s and the woman on the couch just smiled softly and lifted a hand in greeting. Kara’s shoulders seemed to relax at that and she allowed herself to smile, much to Lena’s relief.

“Ok, so . . . what’s happening?”

Winn led Kara to their circle around the small, wooden table, and she sat down between him and Lena.

“Well, James was going for reigning champ at sabacc, but failed to realize that I actually excel at math,” Winn snarked.

James laughed, throwing his hands up. “Oh, please.”

Lena decided to have pity on the Kryptonian who still looked out of her element. She made eye contact with Alex and hoped the older Danvers understood she had it handled. “Winn marked the cards,” she whispered into Kara’s ear.

The Kryptonian jumped, startled and she turned towards Lena. The youngest Luthor felt her heart rate increase at their sudden close proximity. “What?” Kara asked.

“The cards,” Lena whispered, remembering what she’d said. She smiled wryly and jerked her head towards the cards on the table. “He marked them. It’s not that noticeable, but there are notches in the sides of the cards. He makes them look weathered, but they’re just marked.”

Kara slowly smiled as she understood what Lena was saying. The sight made Lena feel much warmer on the inside.

“Isn’t that . . .?” Kara didn’t even have to finish her question before Lena nodded chuckling.

“I’m James,” a voice from across them said. They both looked to see James extending his hand out good-naturedly. Kara hesitantly took it as James smiled kindly. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“I’m —”

“Kara Danvers, right?” James interrupted, his eyes twinkling knowingly. “Alex says your her sister. You must be something to have survived Captain Danvers as a teenager —”

Alex grabbed James in a headlock and began shaking him. “That’s enough, soldier,” she said playfully through gritted teeth. “Don’t ruin my reputation as a badass, Olsen. Not in front of the _genius.”_

Lena laughed as Winn made a high-pitched indignant noise.

“I have a game that’ll kill Winn’s winning streak,” Maggie said over the noise of everyone arguing and bantering.

Lena’s eyebrows shot up as Maggie pointed at her and everyone followed her finger.

“You,” Maggie said.

“Me?” Lena pointed to herself.

“Her?” Winn questioned.

“I’m confused,” Kara stated.

“Ditto.” That was Alex.

“Lena’s the only one who can match Winn in his mathematical . . . madness.” Maggie leaned forward and grabbed another bottle of whatever liquor they were drinking and popped it open. “We’ve been here for a few hours, and we can’t finish the night like this.”

“Um, yes we can!” Winn protested.

Lena was beginning to grow very worried as Maggie leaned forward conspiratorially. “Can it, Schott. You’re just scared because you know she can beat you.”

Winn looked at Lena smugly, despite the way she cocked an eyebrow his way, daring him. “Not. True.”

“Fine. Maggie, you can get your fill of whatever Mon-El has blessed us with,” Lena began, sitting up, ignoring the cheers around the room at the reminder of the Daxamite’s liquor, _“and_ I can beat Winn. _But,”_ she said as Winn opened his mouth, “dejarik. Not. Sabacc.”

Mon-El whooped at the face Winn made, and the room soon filled with laughter.

“Ok, Luthor,” Maggie said sitting back. “I think I got you. For every piece taken, it’s a drink for us.”

Mon-El leaned forward and handed a bottle to Kara with a wink. She hesitantly took it. “Careful,” the Daxamite said, “it’s pretty strong, even for our biology.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “For you both and for people who are used to drinking,” she snarked before facing Winn. “I win, you let me upgrade that new droid you’ve been tinkering with, _alone.”_ Winn opened his mouth in protest again and Lena held up a finger. “You win, and I’ll get you out of systems checks for the next week.”

“Now hold on, Lena,” Winn protested. “That seems a little unfair to you; I don’t wanna make a deal that is so unbalanced —”

“But it isn’t,” Lena said simply, sitting back and taking a swig of her drink. She cocked an eyebrow playfully. “You going to set the game up, Schott?”

Winn sputtered again and Lena was taken by surprise as she heard a soft snort of laughter from beside her. She looked at Kara with a smile as she watched the woman snicker.

“I’m sorry, he just looks ridiculous,” Kara said.

“He always does!” Alex said loudly as Maggie and James laughed.

Lena felt something in her soften as Kara chuckled at Winn’s expense and the Kryptonian looked up at her, the corners of her blue eyes crinkled as she smiled. All she could think as Winn scrambled to set up the game he knew he was going to lose was that she hoped Kara saw this moment, these _people,_ as people and moments she would miss and were worth fighting for.

* * *

**Rebel HQ — Japarel System**

“You know,” Lena said, leaning against the doorway of the small kitchen connected to the lounge area, “I was worried you’d change your mind once you joined us.”

Kara, who was filling a glass of water in the sink, shrugged. “I almost did,” she admitted as she turned around, her eyes soft in the dim lighting. “But . . . I had just talked with Cat Grant and . . . some things she’d said made sense and I knew I couldn’t just ignore you people.”

Lena nodded with a small smile. “Yeah. I understand that.”

“Is everyone . . .?”

“Completely passed out,” Lena answered with a laugh.

Kara smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners again in that way that made Lena feel warm inside. “That was quite a win.”

“I probably should’ve spread my attacks out more instead of saving them for the end,” Lena said wryly without an ounce of remorse. “Should’ve known it would’ve knocked everyone out.”

Kara ducked her head, chuckling. “Well, after the first bottle, I decided I was better off watching. It was more fun that way anyway.”

They allowed a comfortable silence to fill the room.

“You’re sad,” Kara said softly. “I . . . I can still feel you. In the Force, I mean. And you’re sad. But . . . but you’re not mourning.”

Lena looked down, her arms crossed. “I was. At first. But . . . in the end, Lillian and the galaxy . . . things are just better off with her dead.” Kara looked at her concerned and Lena felt compelled to elaborate. “Lex is unredeemable and Lillian was responsible for organizing most of the logistics going into Rhea’s Empire. Mobilization, funding, construction, strategy, that sort of stuff. I’m sad because the fate of my family is . . . not favorable. It’s unavoidable though.”

Kara’s eyes seemed to flash with something as if she were remembering something. “I understand.” She scoffed lightly as she looked down at the glass in her hands. “Someone recently commented on how similar we both were.”

Lena raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Kara breathed. She looked up at Lena without lifting her head. “Our families. They’re . . . not what we wanted them to be. Or expected them to be. And we wish we were in different circumstances, but . . . they formed us, you know?”

“Our families?”

“Our circumstances,” Kara clarified.

Lena stepped closer to Kara. She hesitated before continuing. “I . . . never got to thank you for how you literally saved my life on Lex’s ship. He was ready to kill me and would have if you hadn’t . . . hadn’t done what you did, so. Thank you.”

Kara scoffed again, ducking her head. “I got your mother killed.”

Lena stopped a foot from Kara and kindly took the glass from her hands and placed it on the counter. Kara refused to look at her still, and Lena softly brought her hands up to Kara’s face, lifting her head so she could look her in the eyes.

“Kara.” Lena’s face softened as she met eyes that were shiny with unshed tears. Kara’s eyes were wide and vulnerable and — “You . . . you know it wasn’t your fault, right?”

“I can’t help but keep playing it over and over in my mind,” Kara choked out, almost in a whisper, “things I could’ve done differently that could have spared her and I _can’t.”_

“That’s okay,” Lena reassured her, swiping a loose tear with her thumb from Kara’s cheek.

Kara reached up with one hand and grabbed Lena’s wrist. “I wouldn’t change anything, and that’s what scares me,” she said shakily, searching Lena’s face. “But . . . if I’d changed what I did, you’d probably be dead and . . . I’m not so sure what I would’ve done if . . .”

She trailed off, her eyes fluttering closed, causing a few more tears to drip down onto Lena’s hands. The youngest Luthor searched Kara’s face, wishing she could help her. Ease her inner strife.

“You’ve come far since I first met you, you know” Lena said with a wry smile.

Kara chuckled wetly in response. Her eyes opened and met Lena’s. “Thanks to Kal.”

Lena shook her head slightly, stepping a little closer, her hands still cupping Kara’s face. “Not Kal. You did the work.”

Kara chuckled. “If it’s not Kal, it’s definitely not me.” Her eyes were serious in a way that made Lena’s heart skip a beat and her other hand played with the frays of Lena’s outer shirt. “It’s you, Lena. You’ve done . . . so much for me.” Her voice was practically a whisper. “You don’t even know.”

The corner of Lena’s mouth twitched. “I think I have some idea.”

Then she pulled Kara in for a slow kiss. When the parted, Lena kept her eyes closed, afraid the moment would end once she opened them.

“That was nice,” Kara breathed.

Lena put her forehead against the Kryptonian’s and laughed softly.

“You know, the Jedi of the Old Republic once banned their own kind from any sort of relational attachment,” Kara said softly into the space between them.

Lena brushed her lips against Kara’s once more. “But picking one extreme in fear of the other isn’t balance,” she said once she’d pulled back again.

Kara was the one who kissed her next, following Lena’s mouth with her own. “Is that so?”

Lena chuckled and looked Kara in the eye. They both regarded one another warmly in their small moment of time that was filled with more peace than they’d felt in . . . months.

“I’m sure the Force won’t dissolve with what we’re doing,” Lena said moving her hand down to Kara’s belt loop, pulling her hips closer as she began peppering kisses along the Kryptonian’s jaw and down her neck.

Kara inhaled sharply, but turned her head to allow Lena better access. “Lena, our friends, my _sister —”_

Lena paused and her brilliant mind quickly worked through a list of pros and cons before she pulled back and looked at the Kryptonian in the eye.

“Your room or mine?” she asked, her left eyebrow twitching almost in the same daring way she’d done to Winn not a couple of hours earlier.

Kara released a low, guttural noise from the back of her throat at the sight, and Lena was sure her heart would stop functioning. “Mine’s closer,” she managed.

“So it is.” Lena took a step back, her hands grabbing Kara’s, pulling her towards the door. She couldn’t help the wry smile that came onto her face at the look in the blonde’s eyes as she scanned Lena’s face.

She didn’t know it yet, but _this_ moment was when Lena Luthor began to realize she’d fallen in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parallels, amiright?


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay. Writer's block, work, and other things have hindered the process of making this chapter readable lolol.
> 
> Reading your comments honestly served as the strongest motivation to power through.
> 
> We're on the last two chapters! Enjoy!

**One Month Later**

**The** **_Mytilene_ ** **— Space; Japarel System**

“This is Maggie Sawyer on the _Mytilene._ Sound off, squadron leaders.”

Maggie flipped off her comms as her soldiers followed orders, sounding off one by one in order of formation. She spun around to face the two men standing grimly behind her.

“Why the long faces?” she joked. When Mon-El and Barry failed to react, Maggie cleared her throat and changed tactics. “You guys will be fine. We’ve ran through the plan and backup plan for weeks now. You guys know that J’onn and Cat wouldn’t have given you this job if they didn’t think you capable of it.”

Mon-El cleared his throat, looking more than a little green. “It’s just. This is my mother we’re going up against. And it’s our endgame?” He nervously shook out his hands and shoulders, adjusting the straps on his tactical suit. “I don’t know.”

Barry hesitantly laid a comforting hand on Mon-El’s shoulder, but the action looked more awkward than reassuring. “Look, I’m not too excited about the idea that if we fail, we lose our last chance —”

“Great talk, Allen,” Maggie snarked, rolling her eyes as she turned around and prepared her ship for hyperdrive.

“— but that’s why we’ve worked as hard as we have: so we _don’t_ fail. And we won’t.”

_“Red leader, status is a go.”_

_“Yellow leader, status is a go.”_

_“Green leader, status is a go.”_

_“Blue leader, status is a go.”_

The sound-offs echoed in Maggie’s ship. She waved towards some seats. “You two may want to sit down when we take off. Standing while the ship goes into hyperdrive can make your stomach feel a little odd.”

She waited until Mon-El and Barry were situated before flipping some switches and pressing some buttons. “Winn? You there?”

 _“Hearing you loud and clear!”_ Winn’s familiar voice rang out in the ship’s cockpit, sounding more than a little strained.

“Winn,” Maggie began slowly, “everything is okay, right?”

 _“Yeah! Just . . .”_ There was the sound of something clanging to the ground in the background and Winn swore briefly before continuing. _“We’re just trying to get everything situated before we go. By the way, neither Lena nor I will be running point for the Empire destruction team.”_

“Um,” Mon-El sounded from behind her, “can we ask why?” He didn’t sound very excited about Winn’s information.

 _“Lena and I have a failsafe for the Luthors,”_ Winn explained. _“If we succeed in our plans, it could secure their destruction if Lex manages to slip out of our hands like the greasy, bald weasel he is.”_

Maggie grunted. “Makes sense,” she muttered to herself. “Do Cat and J’onn know about your little plan?”

There was a long pause, which answered her question in and of itself. _“Ah, forgiveness, not permission?”_

“Winn —” Maggie began.

_“We’ve got it covered, Chief! Before this whole thing is over, you’ll probably hear about our great triumph over the Luthor empire.”_

“Just . . . stay safe,” Maggie finished.

_“Will do. Stay safe, my friend.”_

Maggie repeated Winn’s sentiments back to him before spinning in her chair to face her companions. It was understood that as the Rebel fleet was getting into position, they would be on their own agenda. If Winn wasn’t running point on their mission, then it was important that they all understood the plans and layout of the ship since not every tech had the same capabilities of Winn.

“Kara, Alex, you guys set?” Maggie called into her comms.

After a few seconds of silence, the sound of static sounded in her speakers. _“Prepped and ready,”_ Kara’s voice came through, revealing nothing about how she was faring.

“Roger that,” Maggie responded before turning off her comms. “Ok. Looks like we’re setting out,” she breathed, making sure Barry and Mon-El were fine. “I need you both to be revisiting Rhea’s ship’s layout on the way there. I know we’ve run through this a billion times, but we need to be thorough.”

Barry gave a smirk and Maggie glared at him. “What?”

“No goodbye to Alex?” he asked wryly.

Maggie rolled her eyes and turned around, flipping switches and steadying her hands on the ship’s steering. She could only imagine the look on his face as she responded, a smirk of her own pulling at the corner of her mouth. “Took all night, but already done, Mr. Allen.”

And, with the sound of both men gagging behind her, she led her ship and the rest of the fleet into hyperdrive towards Rhea’s last reported coordinates.

* * *

  **Coruscant — Coruscant System**

“How is air support?” J’onn called into his mic as the ground beneath him trembled. He flinched as debris flew around him, explosions continuing to sound.

 _“We’re under heavy fire, but we can hold our own for now,”_ James Olsen’s voice reported. _“Let’s just pray they don’t send any backup before you get those planetary shields down.”_

“Working on it,” J’onn responded gruffly. He peered around the corner of the building his back was up against and caught a glimpse of Imperial soldiers marching towards his location. Clearly they didn’t know that the Rebels didn’t have an army on the ground, which helped their advantage. Unfortunately, the Empire was focused on protecting the key locations that J’onn had his men breaking into.

“Status on Communications?” J’onn called as he made hand motions, making room for his men to run past him and into the building.

_“Men in position.”_

“Roger that. Wait for my signal.”

J’onn turned off his communicator and followed his men into the building. There was nothing more but the usual security, which meant that they had men coming in from behind them.

The room was dark and dust and smoke filled the room. J’onn coughed lightly, making a mental note to tell his men not to blow doors apart with such smoky explosives. Though . . . that may not be as readily available as he would like to think.

J’onn lit his saber, the blue of his blade thrumming eerily in the smoky atmosphere. He made a few commands with his hands, trusting his men to understand his orders. They knew the plans. A small strike team followed him as he climbed the stairs in the building.

An oncoming security guard was startled out of his patrols by the light of the flashlights and J’onn’s saber and he whirled around as they topped the staircase, but as the man turned around with the beginnings of an alarm on his face, he was shot down.

 _“J’onn, it’s getting a little hot up here, and not in the good way!”_ James’ voice sounded in his earpiece.

J’onn opened the doors and saw what he was looking for, a room full of computers and controls. “We’re here, Olsen. Give us a few minutes.”

“Tech!” J’onn ordered.

A small woman dashed forward, her fingers flying on the keyboard and control panel. “Sir, the planetary shields are protected by a very strong failsafe.”

“What do you mean?” J’onn stepped closer.

“I mean that if we make a single mistake, the failsafe will be triggered and the entire code will rewrite itself completely, probably under stronger protection than the first layer of encryption,” the woman said quickly as she typed furiously.

J’onn hummed. “Schott assigned your position with my team, correct?”

The woman paused. “Yes, sir.”

J’onn allowed a little warmth to enter his voice. “Then I have no doubts that you can do the job.”

The woman gave a quick exhale. “Yes, sir. T-thank you. Sir.”

J’onn stepped back, internally giving her a few minutes to try her hand at the code before taking  step back, his hand on his comms, ready to make a quick check on his other strike teams before an incoming call came from one group.

 _“Master J’onzz, sir? There’s . . . well there’s something you need to see on the twenty-third floor, sir. I . . . I don’t know what we’re looking at but — Kriff, that one’s alive! Hey! I need backup here!”_ The call cut short as the sound of approaching feet, presumably the rest of the strike team, followed the strike-team leader’s voice.

J’onn made sure his men were settled before dashing up the stairs, his mind and heart racing as he tried to envision what he would see, what kind of horrors were to be found on the twenty-third floor of LuthorCorp’s main headquarters —

The sight of a pristine lab made him draw up short, his saber held at the ready by his face. J’onn took a steady step forwards, the flickering lights making him feel as if something was going to jump out at him any moment.

The Jedi looked around, taking in the neatness and organization he saw. It was a wonder out of everything, Lex Luthor cared the most about . . . keeping his labs under code. J’onn heard the sound of something rustling and froze before turning around, using the Force on impulse. Nothing moved except the vertical pieces of plastic acting as a barrier between the room he was in and wherever that went.

J’onn took a deep breath and slowly crept towards the threshold. He burst through the door, his saber ready only to be met with flashlights and guns pointed towards his face and a bunch of men yelling at him to stand down.

“Sargeant,” J’onn said, surprised, lowering his saber.

 _“Kriff,_ J’onzz,” the sargeant swore as she lowered her gun. “Maybe a call on the comms or even a hello?”

“You didn’t give me much to go on when you called in,” J’onn muttered, slightly embarrassed. “What’s going on? It smells like experiments and disinfectant in here. And while we’re all standing here like sitting ducks, there are soldiers dying out there —”

“And there are people who could die in here, too, sir,” the Sargeant interrupted him. At J’onn’s cocked eyebrow, the soldier made a huge sweeping motion with her arm as if to display the room to him. “Have you _looked_ around yet?”

Truthfully, he hadn’t, but . . . then J’onn felt his brain short circuit as he looked and took in the human-sized Bacta-tanks lining the room, the blue seeming to glow eerily in the flickering light. Inside were different aliens that he knew very well from his travels.

His eyes followed the cords and tubes streaming from their individual bodies.

“These . . .”

“Sargeant, sir, he’s breathing,” a voice came from behind.

“What is going on?” J’onn demanded.

“These are Lex Luthor’s moral-defying tests,” his sargeant responded tersely as she elevated the man’s head. She sounded ill, disgusted, and J’onn couldn’t blame her.

“Tests?” J’onn asked helplessly. It appeared as if it were something to do with chemicals of sorts.

“These men have been on the Resistance’s MIA list for years,” she began. She slowly looked up at J’onn. “Remember the Jedi and Force-users you were looking into when you first joined the Resistance? These . . . these are them. And from the looks of the green tanks beside those Bacta ones . . . I think Lex Luthor is draining them of their Force abilities from the inside out.”

J’onn had never hated anyone more than the aliens who had taken his entire home and colony away from him, but this? This feeling he was feeling in the present was . . . it was very close.

* * *

  **Space — Imperial Fleet**

**Interior: Commanding Destroyer**

“This is the third wrong turn you’ve made!” Mon-El complained, exasperated. “Why can’t I lead?”

Barry stopped mid-step and turned to face the Daxamite prince with a glare. “If you just let me think then maybe I can think of a way to find out how to navigate this place without you jabbering in my ear!”

Mon-El held up to placating hands. “Look, if you’re the fastest Jedi ever, why can’t you just . . . zoom around or whatever it is that you do and scout out the entire ship in one go and then, I don’t know, lead us the right way?”

“That is the —” Barry paused, his finger pointed towards the prince and mouth open as he tried to find the right words to say. “Actually that’s pretty smart,” he said begrudgingly.

“Just . . . use the Force to do what you do and find me in like . . . what? Ten? Twelve seconds?” Mon-El asked, brows furrowed in thought.

Barry looked at the Daxamite, almost as if he were insulted. “Your Highness, I can do it in eight.”

With a mighty gust of wind, Barry Allen was gone from sight and Mon-El blinked in his wake. The man went to fix his hair, a little disgruntled at Barry’s exit. “Why does everyone keep rubbing my royalty in my own face?”

Before he could take another step forwards, he was hit by another wall of wind. “Has anyone told you it’s really annoying when you do this?”

“Yes,” Barry responded, sparing no time in doing so. “Do you get motion sickness very easily?” he asked cryptically.

Mon-El paused. “No, but —”

With yet another gust of wind, Mon-El found himself in a massive control room. Hands steadied him and he brushed them off, trying to regain his bearings. “That . . . was a lot. At once.”

“Yeah,” Barry said sheepishly, “I guess I could’ve given you more warning. Or something.”

Mon-El fixed Barry with a look. “Just. Don’t do it again? Where are we? This doesn’t look like  a room that handles the destroyer’s shields, let alone the fleet’s.”

Barry approached the main console. “Watch your step; you don’t want to fall,” he said as he passed the Daxamite. At those words, Mon-El looked down and swallowed thickly as he experienced a brief moment of vertigo. The circular room they were in also dropped very far down. Mon-El could barely make out the bottom of the room, but he did not want to wait until he fell to find out how far down it was.

“This,” Barry began as his fingers began flying on the control panel, “is the central control room. At the bottom down there — be careful, Mon-El — is the core reactor that powers the ship. The computers lining the wall make this thing the main commander of every other ship in this fleet. Before we took off, you asked me if we were going to have to infiltrate every single ship to disable their individual shields.”

Mon-El stepped closer, trying to see what Barry was doing, not quite understanding what he was seeing. “Yes?” he asked hesitantly.

“This is why.”

Mon-El pieced it together. “I get it. You can override everyone’s commands from here. So. Couldn’t you theoretically take out their entire fleet from here?”

Barry shot Mon-El a wicked grin. “To an extent, yes. But, I will say that once I take out all of the things I can from here, they’ll be on manual controls which, admittedly, would be easier for Maggie and the Rebel fleet to handle.”

“And . . . I’m here because?” Mon-El was really wanting to know at this point.

“Firepower.” Barry didn’t even look up.

Mon-El gripped his blaster tighter, his jaw clenching determinedly. “Got it.”

 _“It’s getting very crowded out here!”_ Maggie’s voice came from the comms.

* * *

  **Space — Imperial Fleet**

“I could use a status update,” Maggie shouted as she spun her ship, causing two TIE’s to collide with one another. She righted herself. “Now.”

 _“I’m trying my best, but Rhea has hired some very good techs to protect her fleet,”_ Barry responded.

“The boys and I are trying our hardest to keep ourselves alive, but,” Maggie’s entire body tensed as she shot down a line of TIE fighters trying to come at her like a stream, “I don’t think we can hold them off for much longer.”

* * *

  **Space — Rhea’s Destroyer**

“On it!”

Mon-El raised a finger as a thought came to him. “So I have a question. Why did J’onn send you out here?”

Barry finished doing what he was doing and stood up, facing Mon-El in mild confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Why is a Jedi necessary to send out here? I understand he’d want one at every front, but this doesn’t make much sense. Other than your speed and your . . . brain —”

“Thanks!” Barry interjected, genuinely pleased at the unintentional compliment.

“— but it’s not like there’s anything you’re needed for.”

“Wow. I am feeling really unappreciated right now,” Barry said almost feigning being insulted.

“You don’t seem to be . . . actually unappreciated,” the Daxamite observed. “I just don’t understand because . . . Kara and . . . and Alex . . .” He trailed off and suddenly everything clicked and he was looking at Barry as if he hadn’t seen him before. “You’re backup.”

Barry’s face went serious, and it was scary how much older he looked then. “Yeah. In case . . . in case things go south.”

“So if Kara goes back to being the Empire’s weapon —”

Barry nodded. “I’m the only one somewhat fast enough to face her.”

Mon-El’s mouth suddenly went very dry.

Suddenly alarms began blaring and Mon-El jumped, startled. “What in the —”

The doors nearest to them slid open to reveal a patrol of guards and he quickly shot at the them without thinking, as if on instinct. The Daxamite turned towards hid partner with urgency written all over his face. “Any day now would be fantastic.”

The alarm continued to blare, accompanied by the sound of more doors opening on the other side of the central cylinder console. Mon-El’s heart began racing, and he could feel the adrenaline racing through his system. His blaster charged up as he pointed it towards the control panel Barry was working furiously on, his hands a literal blur as he used the Force to quicken his speed. “Sorry, Barry! Desperate times and desperate targets!”

He fired at the console, Barry dodging out of the way at the very last minute.

“I’m almost completely sure that’s not how that saying goes!” Barry said, exasperated as he ignited his saber, pivoting to face the attacks from behind him, blocking some shots and using the Force on some others.

 _“Scanners report a complete decline in Imperial radio frequencies,”_ Maggie’s voice came into their comms, sounding relieved, though still strained.

Mon-El let out a triumphant laugh as he decked a charging trooper, sending the soldier falling to his death before firing his blaster at another two men. “I told you, Allen! Sometimes less thought works better!”

Barry jumped over a crowd of soldiers, flipping mid-air and force-blasting straight down in the middle of the cluster, sending them all flying off the platform. “You’re going to get yourself killed, Mon-El!”

Mon-El charged his blaster for another powerful shot, the sound of a high-pitched whirring reaching his ears as he faced the console again. “Firing again!”

“Wha —”

The console exploded in a plume of smoke and sparks and Barry dove to the side to avoid it. He landed next to Mon-El, his foot catching the edge. The Jedi’s eyes widened as his foot hit air and he began to fall before the Daxamite grabbed his forearm.

Mon-El yanked Barry up onto the platform with a grunt. “You can’t fall to your death. Not right now on my watch.”

Barry chuckled nervously. “Thanks.” He activated the comm in his ear. “Maggie, we’ve . . . deactivated the shields.”

_“Roger that, Master Allen. Me and my fighters are on it.”_

Barry faced Mon-El with a relieved smile, his saber held by his side. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think we —”

“Not so fast.”

Immediately Mon-El’s face fell into an unreadable expression. “Mother.”

They turned to face the form of the Empress, only to be surrounded by troops seconds later. Mon-El slowly dropped his gun at his feet and Barry did the same with his saber.

“Now, is that anyway to greet the ruler of your galaxy?” Rhea asked in mock offense. Her demeanor transformed to a cool, steely anger. “I thought I made it very clear you are no son of mine.”

Mon-El clenched his jaw. “Your old protege hasn’t found you yet? Don’t tell me you’re hiding.”

Rhea laughed, the surprisingly sing-song sound ringing out in the large area. She spread her arms wide. “Who can do anything to me when I have everything in the galaxy at my disposal?”

“That’s not a real response,” Barry called out bravely. “You’re scared. You’re scared she’s going to find you and end you for good.”

Rhea approached the Jedi with hate in her eyes and the corner of her lip curling. “I know that Kara Zor-El is on my ship right now with that _sister_ of hers, searching through my private quarters for me as if she could ask for my surrender as if I owed her something.” Her arm suddenly lashed out and Barry’s head turned with the force of the punch that hit his cheek. “I am not afraid of Kara Zor-El. She has never been able to find me through the Force, so she has to find me like everyone else, which gives me plenty of time to ask you and _him_ ,” she pointed to Mon-El, “what you think you’re doing to my fleet?”

“Getting an advantage,” Mon-El answered, his eyes flickering over his companion who was trying to subtly nurse his already bruising cheek. “You good, Allen?”

“Yeah. Yeah I think so.”

“Right now, the Rebel fleet is destroying ship after ship of yours,” Mon-El said, stepping up to his mother, doing his best to loom over her and meet her gaze levelly. “You have lost your advantage, and there’s no way to regain remote access to your fleet’s security measures. The console has . . . blown a fuse.”

Barry groaned. “Really?”

“Shut up, Allen,” Mon-El hissed.

“You forget I am smart enough to have a failsafe, Mon-El,” Rhea sneered. “As soon as you blasted my ship’s control systems, a signal was sent to our sister fleet. Your rebels will not have an upper hand for long. And as for my ward,” Rhea squared her shoulders, meeting Mon-El’s hard gaze, “she has grown soft and weak. Once I deal with you two, she won’t be a problem. I broke her once before. I will do it again.”

“She’s stronger than you think,” Mon-El defended his friend. “And she has a family now. Something you never understood.”

“Family is a block on the road to progression,” Rhea snarled. “I have been planning this Empire since Krypton died, and I am _not_ ready to lose it all now.”

“Kara will find you before Lex Luthor’s fleet arrives,” Mon-El growled.

“Wait,” Barry spoke up. His hands shot into the air as guns pointed his way at his sudden interjection. “‘Since Krypton died’?!”

Rhea just lifted her chin coldly.

A sudden horror flushed through Mon-El as he had a realization. His heart began to beat faster as he struggled to say what he was thinking. If . . . if he were right then that meant . . . she had . . .

“You knew what the House of El was doing to their own planet,” Mon-El said quietly. “You knew and you didn’t stop them.”

“What?” Barry breathed.

Rhea didn’t say anything, her face giving absolutely nothing away.

“You did, didn’t you?” Mon-El accused, his voice raising despite the guns pointing towards him. “And . . . and you didn’t just know it was going to happen . . .”

“You used the same technology to take out Daxam,” Barry whispered in realization next to Mon-El. “You needed Daxam out of the way so that you could gather galactic support for your Empire. Lex Luthor didn’t find the Medusa plans from Kryptonian archives; he got them from you.”

Rhea was still stonily silent.

“Mother, please . . . please tell me he’s wrong,” Mon-El pleaded shakily. “Please tell me you didn’t . . . our _home,”_ he finished, his voice breaking.

“I did what I had to do for the _galaxy,”_ Rhea snarled. “Because of Daxam’s destruction, the entire alliance of Core planets gave me more than enough resources to start my Empire. _This_ Empire. I gained the Luthors! I gained _systems!”_

“But it cost your people,” Mon-El choked out, a tear escaping his eye. “Our home. Our family.”

“I got you out!” Rhea snapped, as if that one fact were enough to explain what had happened.

Mon-El shook his head slowly, feeling Barry’s comforting hand on his shoulder. “I’m starting to think I would have been better off meeting the same fate as Daxam.”

Rhea scoffed. “Don’t be so dramatic. I gave you life.” She turned around and the guards split to make a path before her. “Take them to the hold, throw them off the side, leave them in space, I don’t care. I have to go deal with a traitor.”

As Mon-El watched his mother walk away, it was as if he were watching a stranger leave. And, as the soldiers roughly dragged him and Barry towards the exit, he allowed himself to grieve his people like he hadn’t before.

* * *

  **Coruscant — Coruscant System**

**LuthorCorp**

“I _hate_ the Empire!” Winn said, almost shrilly. “I _hate_ them so much!”

“Winn, you weren’t even hit,” Lena began.

Winn stopped mid-step before turning around. “Hate,” he said with emphasis before bursting through the large double doors to Lillian’s office with little finesse.

“Winn,” Lena said, exasperated. When he glanced back at her before sitting himself in the chair behind the main desk and getting to work on the computer, Lena sighed. “You never know if any of this is rigged with traps. Lillian isn’t an idiot and she’s quite paranoid.”

Winn waved a hand dismissively. “But I’m a genius and all security countermeasures are shut down while the central grid is toast.”

Lena hummed, making her way to the large window that reached from ceiling to floor and wall to wall. She looked upwards, observing the forms of ships and the explosions that riddled the sky in the utmost atmosphere. Just beyond the shields that J’onn and his team were dealing with on the lower floors.

Her mind went to Kara as she tried to imagine what the Jedi was doing at this moment. So far, nothing had breached their Force-bond, so she knew that Kara wasn’t in any immediate trouble. But the unease that had been surrounding everyone, including herself, had yet to leave. Kara especially wasn’t unaffected by the pressure of knowing that this was their only shot and prying the Empire’s metaphorical fingers from around the galaxy’s metaphorical throat.

_Lena woke up to see Kara sitting on the opposite side of the bed, staring at a photograph taken of Lena, Winn, Alex, and Maggie. Lena knew the picture well; it was hers after all. Maggie had badgered them for a photo following a successful mission until Winn had gotten one of his droids to take it for them._

_It had been soon before Kara had come around to their side fully. Before Kal-El and the inevitable mission of the Resistance to take down Rhea’s empire for good._

_“Kara?” Lena asked sleepily. “We don’t have to be up for another hour or so.”_

_Kara sighed, her bare shoulders rising and falling in resignation. “I don’t think I can sleep.”_

_Lena sat up, scooting towards the Kryptonian, hesitantly wrapping her arms around the woman as she rested her chin on the Jedi’s shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it?” she said quietly, not wanting to disturb the stillness of the night._

_Kara leaned her head back onto Lena’s. “Am I enough?” she asked quietly._

_“What?” Lena hadn’t been expecting that to come out of Kara’s mouth._

_“Am I enough?” Kara repeated again. “I . . . What if I face Rhea and all that comes from it is that Kara Zor-El, the sith, reemerges and everything that I’ve gained here . . . will be for nothing?”_

_Lena buried her face in the Kryptonian’s neck, breathing in her familiar scent. “I don’t think that’s anything to be concerned about,” she responded. “You have accomplished much more than progress, Kara. You have gotten much stronger than when you were under Rhea.”_

_“I just,” Kara sighed, “I feel so much more than I used to, and it’s a lot. It’s . . . it’s almost too much. I don’t know if I . . .” She sighed again, looking down at her hands which were fiddling with and entwining with Lena’s._

_“This isn’t about your power to fight Rhea, is it?” Lena asked, leaning back so she could study Kara’s profile. The Kryptonian was avoiding her gaze. “You’re afraid you will have to kill her.”_

_Kara swallowed thickly. “And what will become of me if I do.” She looked up at Lena, her eyes wet. “Lena, I’m so . . . so angry whenever I’m around her. When I think about everything she’s done to me and to people I love . . .”_

_Lena placed a kiss on Kara’s shoulder. “You have so much more strength in you than you think you do. We all believe that, I just don’t understand why you don’t,” she said. “Besides. Alex will be with you, and if there’s anything bigger than your anger, it’s your love for your sister. You wouldn’t kill Rhea with Alex watching.”_

_Kara chuckled dryly. “That was both parts reassuring and not.”_

_She looked up to meet Lena’s eyes again, and the Luthor heiress couldn’t help but study the depths of the sad, blue eyes that stared into her soul. “Besides,” Lena continued with a smile, reaching up to move a strand of Kara’s hair, “you have me and our connection. If you ever need help, I’ll come help.”_

_“I know,” Kara said softly._

_Lena leaned in to kiss her._

“Lena Luthor,” Winn’s annoyed voice cut through her thoughts, “stop daydreaming about your girlfriend and _help me destroy this stupid Empire!”_

Lena turned around. “Have you executed the program?”

“You mean the thing that will single-handedly deal with the political side of the Luthor Problem?” Winn asked rhetorically. “I will right . . . about . . . now.”

Winn hit the keyboard with a flourish and there was an anticlimactic beep indicating that something had been sent out. He faced Lena with a proud smile before it fell. “Why aren’t you sharing my triumph?”

Lena furrowed her brow. “I don’t know. Something is telling me that it’s not that easy.”

“A Force feeling or an instinct feeling?” Winn inquired.

Suddenly the console dinged again. Winn swore violently as Lena tensed. “What?” she asked. “What’s going on?”

“You may want to watch the door,” Winn responded, his voice filling with unease. “I just intercepted a message on a private frequency that wasn’t affected by J’onn’s interference and shutdown.”

Lena unclipped her saber from her belt, but didn’t ignite it. “What did it say?” she asked urgently.

“Um,” Winn fiddled nervously with the collar of his shirt. “It’s a message from Lex. He’s bringing in reinforcements. A lot of them. And not just here, but at Rhea’s location as well.” Winn rubbed his forehead. “And that’s not all,” he continued. “He knows what we did and he’s not happy. He’s sending in the cavalry and . . . he’s coming here himself. Now.”

* * *

  **Rhea’s Destroyer — Space**

“Kara, there’s nothing here,” Alex called from her side of the giant room, her voice echoing in the room.

The Kryptonian put down the small communications device she had been fiddling with and sighed. “I can’t understand why we can’t find her.” Kara said, exasperated. She strode towards Alex, past the chair that she diligently avoided looking at. Outside, the explosions and gunfire of ships illuminated the black expanse of space.

“If there’s anything I know about Rhea, it’s that she has a reason for doing most things,” Alex responded.

Kara activated the communicator in her ear. “Barry, Mon-El, we have a negative on Rhea.” She and Alex stood there for a few moments, but there was no response. “Barry? Mon-El?” she tried again.

“Maybe there’s something jamming our signal,” Alex proposed hesitantly. She opened up a channel on her comms that had previously been silent. “Maggie? Sawyer do you copy?”

 _“Look, we’re all friends here,”_ Maggie responded, sounding strained. _“I think you can call me by my first name, Captain.”_

Alex mouthed a negative to Kara. “Shields are down! Attack the weak points on the ships; hit the thrusters.”

_“You do realize that’s my signature move? Don’t worry, we’re on it."_

Alarms began to go off, the room pulsing in red glow. Kara sensed the presence of multiple people heading towards their area. She ignited her saber. “Alex.”

_“Oh, kriffing hell no.”_

Kara and Alex both looked out the window behind Rhea’s commanding chair to see multiple ships pulling out of hyperspace. Kara felt her body slacken in horror. She took in the emblems on the sides of the ship, stamped in large, bright red.

“Alex, those ships belong to —”

“Lex Luthor?” a new voice interrupted.

Alex and Kara whirled around, the latter not even hesitating before sending a powerful Force-blast towards Rhea and her soldiers. Everyone flew backwards into the wall, most unconscious upon impact. But Kara was only focused on a singular person. 

Rhea shakily stood to her feet, chuckling as she stretched her back, turning her head this way and that before focusing Kara with a cold smile. “Your friends are dying right now for you to do, what? Face me? Face your past? Defeat me?” she laughed mockingly.

“Where are our friends?” Alex asked, her gun levelled at Rhea.

The Empress waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry, your little friends are fine. In fact, I just ran into two handsome faces at my ship’s central core and wouldn’t you know it, they claimed to know the two of you.”

“If anything happens to them,” Kara threatened, stepping forwards.

“Nothing will happen to them that didn’t happen to you,” Rhea responded coolly. “In fact, as we speak I do believe that my men are taking them to Roulette’s old favorite are on this ship —”

Kara felt a flare of anger and fear rise up inside her as she pushed aside memories of that fighting pit. All of Rhea’s prisoners, her insubordinate soldiers racing towards her to kill her . . . the beasts Rhea allowed to attack her . . . all in the name of training. Strengthening. While everyone else watched and cheered and gambled.

Barry and Mon-El would last a while, but they wouldn’t last for long there. Not when Rhea wanted them dead.

“Every second you stand here trying to get me to surrender, your pathetic Resistance is meeting their slow and miserable end.” Rhea gestured towards the window where Kara and Alex could see how their soldiers were fighting for their lives. Kara sensed Alex’s fear and knew that she was concerned about Maggie.

“We won’t surrender to you if that’s what you’re asking us to do,” Alex snarled.

“Me?” Rhea laughed mockingly. “No, I won’t ask you to surrender. At least . . . not her,” Rhea looked at Kara.

In a split second before Kara could react, an Imperial soldier who had managed to recover from her initial attack shot at Alex, the bullet spinning and expanding into a net before tangling her sister to the ground.

“Alex!” Kara cried out as her sister fell to the floor with a grunt.

“I wouldn’t,” Rhea warned. Kara stopped, watching helplessly as a couple of soldiers roughly tugged Alex to her feet. “I could give the order right now and your two friends will die at this very moment, your sister joining them soon after.”

Kara’s hands balled into fists as she watched helplessly as Alex was taken away.

“Don’t let your anger control you!” Alex called over her shoulder, grunting when a guard drove his fist into her side. “You’re better than her, Kara!”

 _Am I?_ Kara couldn’t help but ask herself.

“Your attachments have made you weak,” Rhea snapped. “It’s no wonder you’ve lost your way.”

“I haven’t lost it,” Kara retorted. “You’re wrong: my friends have only made me stronger. I’ve learned so much since they took me from you, and now I see that it wasn’t the Resistance that was bringing imbalance to the galaxy. It was you.”

Rhea chuckled, amused. “I may not be very attuned to the Force, but even _I_ can sense your false bravado, my Little Sun.”

Kara’s jaw tightened at the nickname.

“The Luthors may be the scourge beneath the surface of my Empire,” Rhea began as she pulled out a small single-handed blaster of sorts, “but they have given the galaxy a reason to fear my reign.”

She fired the gun once and the shot hit Kara in the shoulder. The Kryptonian let out a yell of pain as the shot sent a fiery, searing pain through the rest of her body. She curled up in a fetal position against the sensations running through her. 

Kara could barely take in Rhea’s footsteps drawing nearer. “Kryptonite lasers,” the Daxamite drawled. “Quite handy.”

Kara glared at Rhea, her body involuntarily twitching from the pain.

“That’s it,” Rhea goaded. “Let your anger fester.” She knelt down beside her old ward, and daintily took Kara’s saber off of her and tossed it somewhere behind her. “You know another thing that never ceases to amaze me about the Luthors?” she asked conversationally. “Particularly Lex Luthor, they are _quite_ resourceful. Did you know he had a failsafe army in place for a time like this? He has another army of mercenaries, brutal bunch by the way, and while his main fleet is here, they are currently destroying whatever feeble plan your _Rebels_ have decided to enact on Coruscant.”

 _No._ Kara squeezed her eyes shut against the flaring pain in her veins as she cast her senses out to where she knew the Rebels would be. Glimpses of J’onn. James. Winn. She didn’t have to search for Lena because Lena had become a part of her. If the youngest Luthor were dead, Kara would know immediately.

“I’m impressed,” Rhea said, sounding genuinely impressed. “You are fighting this quite well. Lex said Kryptonite was lethal to you.”

“You . . . will not destroy . . . another planet again . . . as long as I live,” Kara managed through the pain, her teeth gritted.

Rhea tsked. “When we get through this, you’ll realize you were better off with me than against. That anger inside of you? It’s a part of you, Kara. You will _never_ be able to get rid of it, not matter how much _relationship_ you bury it under.” She leaned forwards. “I _made_ you.”

Kara cried out as another flare of pain shot through her body.

“This really is quite pitiful, while still impressive.” Rhea sat back. “I expected more of an actual fight.”

Kara slowly rose to her hands and knees, her body shaking with pain. “I _will_ put an end . . . to your Empire,” she growled.

Rhea laughed, the sound echoing almost lightly in the large room. “I cannot believe Lex Luthor was concerned about the threat you posed to my Empire! He was so worried about you, about his _stupid,_ foolish sister who, if our intel is correct, will be a prized asset once we get her in our —”

Kara launched herself at the Empress with a roar. Rhea’s eyes widened in surprise as Kara tackled her to the ground. The Daxamite’s eyes narrowed as she rolled with the Kryptonian’s momentum and punched her solidly across her jaw. Kara’s head turned with the blow before she looked back at the Empress with fury in her eyes, jerking herself to the side and catching Rhea’s nose with a well placed hit with her elbow.

The Empress fell onto her back and the Kryptonian straddled her, getting another good punch in before putting a hand to the woman’s throat.

To Kara’s surprise, Rhea began to chuckle hoarsely, despite the blood flowing from her nose. “I think Lex and I may have gotten the nature of your relationship with Miss Luthor a little convoluted.”

Kara raised a fist to hit the woman again.

“Do it,” Rhea demanded, her eyes flaring with the dare. “Give in to your anger. Beat me to a pulp. Kill me. You know what you want to do, so do it.”

Something in Kara hesitated.

“Do it!” Rhea yelled at her. “Your sister, your friends, Lena Luthor — they’re all going to die at my command unless you _stop_ it!”

Then, through all the pain in her body and the anger in her heart, Kara felt something tugging at her that made her pause where she was. She closed her eyes against the presence pulling at the Force.

_Lena._

“No,” Kara removed herself from Rhea, scooting back from the woman. “No, I won’t. That’s not the Jedi way.”

Rhea laughed from where she lay before angrily hitting the ground beside her as she sat up. “You are a _waste!”_ she roared. “All of those years thrown away!”

Kara looked away from her old master, her hands shaking, not just from the pain of the Kryptonite in her system.

“Fine,” Rhea said to herself. “Plan B.”

She pressed a button on a device on her wrist and before Kara could process what was happening, Rhea had tackled her, and both of them were bowled through a portal to Coruscant.

* * *

  **Coruscant — LuthorCorp HQ**

“Have I mentioned how frustrating your family is?” Winn asked across the room as he hid behind the desk as another explosion went off by him, a chair flying through the window.

“I’m fully aware,” Lena responded, from where she hid behind a chair. She stood up and deflected an oncoming grenade with the Force, sending it out the window where a harsh wind was entering the room through.

“Your Jedi tricks will only get you so far, _sister,”_ Lex sneered.

“They’re doing pretty well as long as you keep shooting at me,” Lena snarked.

“Don’t make him mad,” Winn squeaked.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Lex,” Lena called out. Lex responded by stalking closer, the Kryptonite bracelet on his wrist evident for her to see as he rested his blaster on his shoulder.

“I would say the same, but we both know that now? That’s not true,” Lex snarled.

Lena stepped forwards, not quite knowing what she was going to do, just that she had to do something before a weird wooshing sound met her ears. It was distinct from the wind rushing through her hair and as Winn and Lex turned towards the sound as well, she knew it wasn’t natural.

“Ah,” Lex breathed, almost in understanding.

A second later, two familiar forms rolled through what appeared to be a portal of sorts before the anomaly closed with another harsh _woosh._

“Kara?!” Winn exclaimed.

“Empress,” Lex acknowledged, much more refined.

Lena watched with fear as the Empress stood, her face showing traces of drying blood. “Luthor.”

Lena’s heart began to race as she realized that the Kryptonian who had tumbled through the portal with the Empress had yet to get up. “Kara?” she called aloud. “Kara!”

“What’s wrong with her?” Lex asked with mild curiosity as if he were simple inquiring about the behavior of a pet or small animal.

“Your weaponry works fairly well, Luthor,” Rhea explained, brandishing a tiny pistol.

“Kara!” Lena called. She saw Kara’s hand twitch as the Kryptonian caught her breath. As the Jedi slowly began to raise herself from the ground, Rhea snorted, amused.

“She’s feeling a little . . . under the weather.” Rhea snorted in amusement before facing Lex. “I thought we had agreed that you were going to stay back until we had the Rebels cornered.”

Lex’s lip curled, the mighty scar on his face contorting unnaturally at the action. “Trust that I know what I’m doing. You said you were going to end the Kryptonian and I see you have yet to do that,” he responded.

Kara shakily rose to her feet behind the Empress and made eye contact with Lena. Lena glanced at Winn who looked as if he were trying to ask her a question with his eyes.

“Like hell,” Lena growled, causing both Lex and Rhea to look at her. Before they could respond, she had sent a strong Force-blast at them, causing them both to fly back into the wall.

Lex rose to his feet with a chuckle as Lena pressed him against the wall, her forearm across his throat. “Oh, I see,” he said with a laugh, coughing a bit as his airway was cut off with applied pressure for a brief moment. “You don’t want to hurt me until your abomination of a . . . what? _Lover?”_ he asked with disgust written all over his person. “Until her life is threatened by a simple element?”

“Lena, look out!” she heard Winn cry out.

Lena turned her head to see Rhea aiming a shot at her head, and before she could react, Kara had used the Force to throw her old master into Lillian’s old desk. Winn scurried from behind it, having saved the computer console before the thing was destroyed.

“We aren’t done,” Kara growled behind gritted teeth.

“Neither are we.” The sound of Lex’s voice drew Lena’s attention back. Her eyes widened as she felt the barrel of a gun touched her hip. “You’ve brought this on yourself,” Lex snarled quietly before pulling the trigger.

Lena stumbled back, her hand going to the wound, feeling the warm stickiness of blood on her skin. “No, I’m just reacting to things _you’ve_ put into place.”

“You got our mother killed,” Lex snarled.

“No, Lex,” Lena said sadly. “You did this to yourself.”

Lex roared before diving towards Lena, his fists ready. Lena blocked the blow and leaned forward with an elbow jab towards the man’s jaw. Lex stumbled back, his nose beginning to bleed, his eyes watering.

Lena could barely register the sound of Kara and Rhea fighting nearby and Winn letting out yelps every now and then as he continued to try to protect the encoded computer system.

Lex spun and swiped her legs from under her, and she collapsed. Before she could roll over and get up, Lex had straddled her and driven his fist into her diaphragm.

Lena felt the air leave her body as he hit her face. “Don’t think I will hesitate to destroy your face as you have mine,” he snarled.

He hit her again and she gasped against the pain.

“Lena!” she heard and felt Kara’s fear before hearing her grunt as Rhea hit her across the temple with her gun.

“No!” Lena called as she saw Kara collapse to the ground.

Lex grabbed the lapels of her shirt. “You will look at me,” he snarled. “I want to see the life leave your eyes.”

He hit her again and she spit blood out onto his face. She couldn’t help but flinch as Lex’s bloodied fist raised in preparation for another blow —

“Lena!” she heard Winn cry out.

Lena caught a glimpse of something flying in the air from his direction and used the last of her strength to use the Force on the object, feeling it fly into her palms. Her eyes briefly widened in surprise — she knew this shape. Alex had made sure to teach her about every small weapon available.

Before Lex could process everything, Lena had driven the electrified device into her half-brother’s side. He convulsed as the current ran through his body, falling to the ground.

“Very admirable,” Rhea’s voice came from the side and Lena looked up from her brother’s unconscious form. “But I didn’t come to Coruscant to make it easier for you Rebel scum to beat us.”

Lena’s eyes widened and her heart skip a beat as she caught a gleam of green in Rhea’s hand. “No!” she raised a hand to use the Force and Rhea shook her head with a smirk.

“I wouldn’t. Unless you want to send her out with me,” Rhea drawled. “Handy, LuthorCorp. You would be surprised at how much of this stuff is just . . . lying around here.”

“You and Lex had this planned.” Lena was carefully stepping towards Rhea who was supporting Kara’s semi-conscious form. “You came here to get —”

“Too much talking, young Luthor,” Rhea snarled before taking the shot and injecting the ominous green Kryptonite directly into Kara’s neck.

“NO!” Lena cried as green began to climb the veins in Kara’s neck, her body beginning to convulse violently as her eyes rolled into the back of her head in response to the pain.

“Kara!” Winn cried out.

“You’re going to hand me that computer, _tech,”_ Rhea began slowly, as if talking to a child. She dropped Kara’s form unceremoniously onto the ground. “And then you and Ms. Luthor will hand yourselves over to the Empire.”

Winn slowly approached the Empress, his chest heaving in fear as his eyes went from Kara to Rhea to Lena and back again.

“Winn,” Lena said softly in warning.

“Do the smart thing.” Rhea stretched out her hand.

“All it takes,” Winn began shakily, “is one key command and the entire galaxy knows exactly what you and Lex have been up to. Every . . . every prison camp, every dead planet, every . . . orphaned child. All of it.”

“It’s either them or your friends.” Rhea pointed a gun towards Lena who eyed the Empress with hate.

Winn stepped up until Kara was at his feet, her body still convulsing. It didn’t take medical knowledge to know that Kara didn’t have much time left. Lena, for a moment, thought that he was going to go through with Rhea’s demands, that he was going to fall for her implied deal that she would save Kara if he handed her everything. But she knew Rhea’s plan. Rhea would allow Kara to die regardless of what he chose to do. She just hoped Winn knew that.

Winn glanced down at the device in his hands before looking up at Rhea.

“Come on,” she said with feigned kindness, impatience flashing across her face.

“No.” Winn said it so softly even Lena thought she had misheard it. “No!” he said loudly.

Lena saw Rhea’s face contort in rage.

“I will not,” he said.

“You pathetic, selfish, ungrateful, incompetent —”

Lena jumped in surprise as Winn stepped forwards and slammed the device into Rhea’s head, causing her to collapse to the ground, dazed.

“Winn!” Lena said, surprised.

He slowly looked up with two broken pieces of the computer device, the parts held together by a few wires. “Woah.”

“What about the —”

“I did that ages ago,” Winn dismissed. “There was nothing she could do.

Suddenly a shot rang out and it was all Lena could to just watch as Winn met her eyes in shock, before falling to the ground, blood spreading across his chest.

“Winn!” Lena cried out.

Pain flared up in her leg and she, too, collapsed, hearing Lex’s labored breathing from above her. He stood over her, his hand grasping the side where she had electrocuted him as he pointed a gun to her face. “You _will_ —”

She threw him off with a powerful Force-blast. “Shut up.”

Then hands were around her throat and squeezing for all they were worth and Lena’s eyes widened as she took in the Empress. “I was going to allow Kara Zor-El to die under your nose as you watched, but I see I am going to have to kill you myself if she is going to truly die.”

Lena gagged as the pressure increased and almost instinctively, she reached out into the Force, crying out for help to anyone who would listen. She grasped onto the sliver of Kara she could feel in her mind.

_Come on, Kara! Hold on just a little longer . . ._

She could feel Kara slipping away, the Kryptonite still surging through her blood.

“I thought I told you that Lena Luthor was mine to deal with,” Lex said from across the room.

Lena’s eyes widened in surprise alongside the Empress’ as a shot rang through the room. Blood began to blossom from Rhea’s stomach and the Daxamite faced Lex with betrayal and anger written on her face.

“You _dare —”_

“Yes, I do,” Lex snarled. “I’m sick and tired of listening to you, I’m sick and tired of following _your_ plans — the whole reason you are Empress is because of _ME!”_ he roared.

“The Jedi —”

“The Force-users are a disease to the galaxy, and I agree that we must destroy the Jedi, but by perpetuating the sith, you only manage to keep the Force alive, and I cannot allow that. Not while they have a fighting chance.” Lex raised his gun to Rhea’s face.

“You will pay for this, Lex.”

“No,” he said after a moment of false consideration. “I won’t. Because you’ll be dead. And then they will be too.” He nodded towards Lena, Alex, and Winn before shooting her in the face.

Her body fell to the floor without ceremony as Lena cried out in surprise and horror at the sight.

“You killed her!” she exclaimed.     

“Indeed. And now, you’re going to watch Kara Zor-El and Mr. Schott die before your eyes before you meet the same fate the same way.”

Suddenly the only intact window seemed to explode, causing both her and Lex to whirl around to face the source of the noise. Lena couldn’t help the relief that came to her at the sight before her and the satisfaction of seeing Lex pale considerably at the sight of the man before them.

Kal-El stood proudly, his red side-cape whipping dramatically in the wind now swirling around the office. He grimly took in the dying forms of his cousin and Winn before meeting Lena’s eyes.

“I heard your call for help,” he explained.

“Hurry,” was all she said.

“You — I killed you!” Lex exclaimed, taking a step back.

Kal glared at Lex. “No. No you didn’t.” Then he launched himself at his nemesis.

Lena scrambled out of the way, her leg flaring up with pain from the shot. Her hands shaking as she approached the remains of Lillian’s desk. “Come on, come on,” she muttered to herself, sifting through the shards of splintered wood and scattered contents of said desk.

She knew Lillian kept personal samples near her person, most of them in her desk because she had the most control over it. It was under an immense locking system, but with the desk splintered into a bajillion pieces, maybe Lena could find something that could counteract the spread of Kryptonite in Kara’s system —

Her hand ran over the familiar form of a gauge needle and a couple glass bottles no bigger than her index finger. Lena hastily grabbed the items, jumping in surprise as a loud crash sounded beside her as her brother and Kal-El went through the wall and into the adjacent room.

“Why does she have these in her desk?” Lena muttered to herself, her eyes quickly scanning the chemical description of the compounds. Alone, these solutions would do nothing more than give an adrenaline boost to the adrenal glands and give a shot of hormones to a given system, respectively. Even if she were to administer both, it would just shock Kara’s system.

But perhaps a shock to her system is what was needed. A boost to the immune system accompanied by Kara’s system being flushed . . . but there wasn’t a blood donor, and Lena wasn’t about to let her bleed out.

“Come on, Lena,” she muttered angrily to herself. Kara was _dying_. She had to trust her instincts.

With expert hands, she began to pour out and mix the solutions at the proper ratios before filling the gauge needle with the solution. She all but sprinted to Kara’s side, the Kryptonian passed out from the pain, green crawling through her system, glowing horribly, making her skin appear yellow.

“No, no, no,” Lena worried aloud, cupping Kara’s face in her hand, her heart wrenching at the small, involuntary whimpers the other woman let out against the pain.

“I’m so sorry, Kara,” she choked out, tears welling in her eyes as she took the needle and stuck it in an exposed vein in the Kryptonian’s forearm. Almost immediately Kara’s body began to convulse erratically.

“No!” Lena sat, shocked and overcome with fear for a moment, her heart breaking as Kara began to deteriorate quicker — “No.”

No, she was not going to lose someone else close to her. She was not going to allow Lex to take another good thing from her life, and she sure as hell wasn’t about to let Kara die before the woman could make the most of the life Lena knew she had been dreaming about. Kara deserved another chance. Not many people got one, and Kara had one within her grasp . . .

Lena placed a hand on Kara’s stomach and another on her chest and closed her eyes, focusing deeply on the Force, shoving aside her fear and pain and anger and exhaustion until there was only the here-and-now. The present. Her senses. Kara.

She felt energy gathering under her fingertips, then her palm. Despite Kara’s convulsions as her body fought the shock, Lena held her hands firm, feeling another tear slip from her eyes.

She wasn’t going to let it win.

The strange energy she felt beneath her hands was ready to explode, and Lena knew it had to go somewhere, that she couldn’t hold it forever. Her hands began to move instinctively, towards Kara’s head, towards her mouth in an almost rhythmic motion, her fingers tightening and loosening as if she were pulling on a rope — pulling it towards Kara’s mouth until —

Lena jumped back as Kara’s eyes widened and the Kryptonian threw herself to the side as she vomited on the floor, the substance glowing a deep green.

Lena scooted forwards and drew Kara in her arms, wiping the woman’s face with her loose robes. “Hey, hey, you’re ok,” she murmured in hushed tones.

“That was terrible,” Kara rasped weakly, pushing her face into Lena’s shoulder.

The youngest Luthor couldn’t help the tears that fell from her eyes in relief, holding Kara tightly and chuckling. “Can you stand?” she asked the Kryptonian.

Kara took a large, steadying breath before meeting Lena’s eyes and nodding. Lena helped Kara stand, and had her lean against the desk as she knelt by Winn. There was blood spreading over his shoulder, but just as Lena had suspected, Lex hadn’t hit anything critical.

“Winn?” Lena stripped over her outer layer of robes and applied pressure to the wound so her friend wouldn’t bleed out.

Winn groaned weakly, his eyes fluttering open against the pressure. “Lady, you’re gonna kill me.”

Lena chuckled wetly before grabbing his hands and putting them ontop of the wad of cloth she’d just placed on him. “Hold that there, wuss.”

“I hate being shot,” Winn added before letting his head drop to the ground, resigned. All Lena could think was that she was glad he was okay.

Suddenly, the window burst, showering them all in shards of glass as Kal-El drove Lex Luthor into the opposite wall, his face stony concentration while Lena’s brother showed nothing but intense contempt.

“You cannot win this time, Lex,” Kal warned. “Surrender. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Lex coughed, seemingly to purposefully allow some blood to drip from his lips as he regarded Kal with a sneer. “That’s _rich.”_

He met Lena’s gaze over Kal’s shoulder and his eyes flickered over to Kara whom Lena had placed herself protectively in front of. Lex began to chuckle. “Leave it to Lillian to leave some sort of uncouth solution to the Kryptonite problem. I’m proud of you, sister,” his lips pulled back in a shark’s grin that made Lena’s insides turn.

“Leave them alone,” Kal growled. “It’s you and me. Your hatred for the Jedi has gone too far, and run too rampant.”

“So what?” Lex snarled. “Is it _your_ job to deliver justice? To determine what is to be done with me? My _sentencing?”_ Lex spat on Kal’s face. “You have power so you think you can rule, but just like any other tyrant, the masses will _destroy_ you in your own time without me.”

Kal shook his head sadly as he looked at Lex. “What happened to you? When did you change?” he asked softly.

Lex rolled his eyes. “Being dead for a year really made you more of an idiot.” His eyes flickered to Lena. “Only an idiot like you would leave room for weaknesses.”

Lena’s eyes widened as she sensed Lex’s action a split moment before he took it. She turned her body, hoping to get both her and Kara out of the way before —

A searing pain hit her arm and she cried out, her hand immediately going to the wound, the warmth of blood pooling around her fingers.

“Lena!” The youngest Luthor faintly recognized Kara’s voice amidst her pain.

“Kara, no!” Kal cried out.

Lena forced her eyes to focus. “No,” she breathed at the sight before her, not able to do anything but watch.

Kara had taken Kal’s place holding Lex, only this time she had slammed the man into another wall of the room, her forearm pressed against his neck, applying steady pressure as she eyed him with fury. Lex chuckled deeply before coughing as Kara briefly cut off his air supply.

“There’s the Zor-El the Empire has heard so much about,” he goaded.

“You won’t hurt her again,” she growled in response.

“Kara . . .,” Kal began.

Lex grinned widely despite his position. “Your noble commands for my actions sound very reminiscent of your cousin. You think that you scare me? You’re wrong,” he taunted. “I passed up fear a long time ago. No, I _hate_ your kind. I hate you and everything you stand for.”

“Even if you’re set free, you are ruined,” Kara said lowly, pressing harder against him.

Lex gagged as he chuckled again. “Ah, yes. Mr. Schott’s genius doing, I presume? I don’t think you realize that even if I’m gone, the galaxy still has _plenty_ more like me.”

He took in the conflicting fury in Kara’s face, in her stance. “And what about you?” He hummed in question. “Are there more like you? You and your cousin? The only remnants of an _idiotic_ race that wiped themselves out with nothing but their own _hubris.”_ His eyes looked almost crazed as blood began to drip down the corner of his mouth. “You are a dying species, and it won’t be long before the rest of the Force recognizes it as well. You especially, Kara Zor-El,” his voice lowered as if sharing a secret, “you terrorized and killed hundreds in the name of the Empire, and you _enjoyed_ it, didn’t you?”

Lex seemed to relish in the doubt that crept into Kara’s eyes. He knew he had hit a nerve. “You think that by building a new saber, wearing different clothes, and changing your moniker that you’re _good_ now?” He scoffed. “Please. Rhea didn’t change you. She brought out what’s inside of you and if that scares you, then it _terrifies_ the galaxy. You think you have family, friends, loved ones,” his eyes flickered to Lena who glared back, clutching her arm from where she sat beside Winn, “but it’s their way of keeping you in check. Kryptonite won’t die when I’m gone. It’s circulating through the galaxy as I speak. Black markets, bounty hunters, terrorist groups, and I would bet my _life,”_ Lex almost shouted the word, “that the Rebels have some on hand themselves just in case.”

Kal put a hand on Kara’s shoulder. “Kara, let him go. They can deal with him.”

Kara’s jaw worked, a soft reddish, orangish glow appearing from behind her eyes. “You’re nothing but hate,” she growled.

“On the contrary, Kar Zor-El,” Lex snarled back, “I’ve never worked harder for something I loved. What about you? What do you love? Or whom? My sister has a charm about her, I understand that,” he practically drawled. “But now I know your weakness. And when I escape whatever prison you have built specifically for me, I will make sure you are _watching_ as I tear her limb from limb and rip her life right from under you while you’re _helpless_ —”

Kara roared and the heat behind her eyes began to build. Lena knew what happened after — those in Cat Grant’s personal circle, they all knew first hand. Kara had come so far, and she was not going to allow her brother to win another victory by pulling the Kryptonian back.

Kal pulled Kara’s shoulder hard so Lex dropped weakly to the ground while Lena fought through the pain and grabbed the furious Kryptonian, her body the picture of wrath.

Lena shakily placed a bloodied palm to Kara’s face, her thumb lovingly stroking the woman’s cheek. “Kara, he’s lying. He’s lying, I’m safe, and none of this is your fault. None of this is your fault. I’m here. Kara look at me. Come back to me.”

She heard Lex chuckle from behind her before the dull sound of a fist making contact with something solid met her eyes, and she knew Kal had knocked her brother unconscious.

Lena’s eyes searched Kara’s face as the dangerous glow behind her eyes faded away and all that was left were scared and angry blue eyes. The swirling emotions manifested themselves into tears and Lena wiped one away as it landed on her thumb.

“I almost killed him,” Kara whispered bitterly, her voice filled with self-loathing.

“But you didn’t,” Lena responded softly. “You didn’t, and you’re here now, and everything’s okay.”

Kara dropped her head onto Lena’s shoulder and began to cry bitter sobs. Lena met Kal’s gaze and she watched as his shoulders dropped, tired.

“Thank you for coming,” Lena told him.

Kal opened his mouth to respond before Winn interrupted. “We’re not out of the woods yet,” he called from where he’d managed to prop himself up, opening the holo-computer with wide eyes.

Kara lifted her head to look towards Winn as the rest of the room did the same. “What’s happening?” Kal asked, his deep voice reverberating through the room.

An alarm suddenly began to blast around them, red lights flashing erratically as thick, metal walls began to drop down on all sides until they were trapped completely.

“That,” Winn said dryly, wincing as he maintained pressure on his wound. “Wow, I’m feeling light headed.”

Lena swore under her breath. “Lex wouldn’t go out without a failsafe. There’s nothing he hates more than you two and he now has you both in one room,” she explained aloud to Kal. Lena felt Kara grab her hand and their fingers wound together.

“I hate failsafes,” Winn grumbled. “Ok, we have exactly ninety seconds until this place goes up in the sky in a Kryptonite-esque explosion.”

“That’ll spread Kryptonite all through Coruscant’s atmosphere,” Kal said gravely.

Kal activated hissaber and made to cut through the metal, but all that happened was hewas stopped as his blade met the surface of the wall and hissed angrily. “Whatever Lex used to make this, he made sure we aren’t getting out.” He deactivated her saber and turned to look at Winn. “Can you counteract the program?”

Winn laughed crazily. “‘Can I counteract the’ — of course I can! Hopefully,” he added under his breath as he dropped the robes he had been using for his wound in order to use both hands on the keyboard.

“Oh, no,” he said aloud. Not a moment later the walls of the room began to glow a soft green and the Jedi in the room began to feel the effects.

Lena tightened her grip on Kara’s hand. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Kara nodded weakly. “I’ll be fine for now.”

“Come on, Winn, you’re our only hope right now,” Lena urged.

“I’m trying, just hold on!” he shot back, clearly stressed, his fingers flying over the keys as the timer ticked down.

Suddenly a loud, echoing boom sounded. Everyone froze.

“What was that?” Kal asked.

Another boom and the faint timbre of voices on the other side of a nearby wall where the door had been. “That’s Alex,” Kara said softly. “That’s Alex!” she said again, stronger this time.

“Seems all is well on the Imperial front,” Lena said aloud.

Another boom as the Rebels tried to break into the room.

“Come _on,_ Winn!” Lena urged.

Winn’s hands were almost a blur, and he began muttering to himself.

“Winn!” Kara urged as well.

“Saying my name in a way that’s asking me to hurry _doesn’t help me hurry!”_ he snapped. A rhythmic beeping began to emit from the computer as if counting down, and Lena knew they were in the last few seconds of the timer.

Lena pulled Kara into her arms and held her, bracing herself for an explosion. “I love you,” she murmured into the Kryptonian’s ear.

“I love you, too,” Kara breathed back.

And then the timer ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter and then this beast is finished!


	17. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but sweet. I thank you all for the way you've supported me and this fic. Your comments kept me driven to do better with each chapter.

The room was quiet. It made sense considering that it was pretty much empty. The dimmed lights made the atmosphere appropriately melancholy and Kara Zor-El has never thought a room fit its purpose so well. Especially not now. 

Footsteps on tile caught her attention but she didn’t need to turn around from where she sat in front of the altar, the ceremony long finished. 

“I didn’t know her well, but I know she would’ve been so proud of you,” Kal-El said quietly, his deep voice reverberating in the large hall. “She was always proud of you, Kara.”

Kara looked down at her hands, suddenly overcome with emotion. She swallowed down a sob and watched tears hit the tile in front of her. “I just . . . I never had a _chance_ you know? I never _asked_ to be saved I never . . .”

“But she did save you because she loved you, Kara,” Kal hummed, sitting next to his cousin not quite close enough for their shoulders to touch. “I know that you probably think you would be better off if she hadn’t, but she did. You have to make the most of that.”

Kara sniffed and rubbed her eyes with a hand. “I know. I just . . . it’s so _hard_ to do that after . . . after everything.”

They sat in silence for a moment, the only sounds coming from Kara trying to contain her tears as they continued to threaten to fall. 

“You know, she once told me she knew from looking at me that I was going to do something amazing for the galaxy,” Kara practically breathed. “I can’t believe I forgot to have faith in myself when so many people like her trusted me . . .”

“More than you trusted yourself?” Kal finished for her wryly. 

Kara learned her head on his shoulder. “Yeah.”

Another brief moment of silence passed until another pair of footsteps on tile broke their reverie. “You know,” a voice began with a lilt of teasing to it, “the ceremony ended two hours ago. People are wondering if you’ve run away.”

Kara chuckled wetly, rubbing her eyes and sniffing. She stood up and turned around with a smile. “Lena.”

The dark-haired woman smiled back, her green eyes flashing with warmth. “Kal,” she greeted the other Kryptonian kindly. 

He waved, albeit a little awkwardly, though the smile on his face spoke nothing but happiness. “Everything went smoothly?”

Lena snorted. “Clean-up is long, but it’s not a science. I’m just glad we finally have gotten everything figured out. For the most part.” She sighed and sat down beside Kara, looking up at the ceremonial altar that had been quietly erected soon after the Empire had called a truce. 

It was simple, but beautiful. The stone had been carried in from some system far away, practically unbreakable, yet appeared fragile. It was shiny, the individual grains and minerals within the material reflecting the light pouring in from the windows above majestically. At the base of the monument were three flames, the center being the largest, the outer flames burning orange while the center was a warm blue. 

Lena’s eyes raked over the Kryptonian on the memorial before looking carefully at the woman beside her who sat quietly, though she sensed the sadness radiating off of her. “Are you okay? I sense . . . sadness?” she asked tentatively.

The blonde gave a small smile, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. “I’m not sad because I miss Krypton or my mother. I think that this memorial is very beautiful and it means a lot. To both me and Kal.”

Lena waited patiently for Kara to continue.

“I guess I never dealt with change very well. So much is happening — _has_ happened — beyond my control and so fast. I mean . . . we have _weeks_ maybe _months_ of council meetings to establish the new galactic council, the Jedi have sworn an oath to be nomadic enforcers of peace, I just,” Kara sighed. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe that a little over a year ago I was trying to kill you. And . . . that many years ago I was just a child on Krypton without any knowledge of what was to come.”

“You miss your mother,” Lena said kindly. 

“Yeah.” Kara smiled with wet eyes. “Yeah, I really do.”

Lena moved closer and when Kara didn’t make any move away from her, she leaned her head on the Kryptonian’s shoulder, the material of the blonde’s robes soft under her temple. 

After a brief moment of silence, Lena gave a small groan and Kara looked down at her oddly. “What are you thinking about?” Kara asked, her voice somewhat amused and thankfully not as heavy as it had been. 

“Just . . . we have another ceremony tomorrow,” Lena all but complained. 

“Yeah, but we get _medals,_ Lena.” Kara said it as if that one little detail alone should make up for the entire thing. “Rhea _never_ gave me any medals.”

Lena snorted once she realized the blonde was joking. “The woman liked black too much to make anything shiny.”

Kara chuckled and pressed her lips to Lena’s head. “It works for me. It makes this just that more special.”

Lena looked up and her eyes met Kara’s. She was glad to see the woman smiling, the corners of said eyes crinkling a bit at the action. She cupped the woman’s face tenderly. “I still hate ceremonies,” she said after a brief pause.

Kara’s eyes widened in surprise at the statement before she threw her head back in surprised laughter. Lena laughed with her, glad to see the Kryptonian feeling better. Kara caught Lena in a kiss and chuckled. “So do I.”

* * *

 The hall was lined with aliens from all over the galaxy, all dressed the nicest they could, and all watching with eager expectation. The music began to swell from the orchestra in the far corner, and Lena just _knew_ that Lex would’ve had a conniption if he learned they were playing his least favorite march. 

A small smirk adorned her lips as the procession begin. The huge double doors, which had been cracked a bit so that they could see when the council was ready for them, was thrust open widely and there was an applause that filled her ears. 

“Are you _sure_ it looks okay?” a voice reached her ears. “Like, maybe it’s just a little much? Or maybe it’s not enough — no, it’s too much. It’s —”

Lena turned around and put a placating hand on her friend’s arm. “Winn, your hair is fine, I promise.”

He gave a nervous laugh and adjusted his robes a bit. “I’ve never been on stage in front of people before.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “But you’ve been held at gunpoint by my brother? Please.”

Winn pointed an accusatory finger at her and his mouth opened in argument before someone hit him in the side. He gave a sharp “ow!” at the action. 

“Come on, tech, the crowd is moving,” Maggie Sawyer said from behind him. 

“Aw, easy, Mags, he’s just nervous because the last time he was in front of the council, his uniform pants were unzipped,” Alex Danvers said from beside Maggie with amusement shining in her eyes. 

Lena’s eyebrows rose at this, filing the story away for later. 

“Alex, that was supposed to stay forgotten,” Winn complained. 

“Keep walking, tech,” she responded with a small push to his back. 

Winn stumbled forward with a scowl on his face, but it quickly turned to an amused smile as he heard Lena laughing from beside him. He stuck out his elbow as he had done in the procession rehearsal earlier that week. “Master Luthor.”

Lena smirked at the title and took his arm gracefully and they walked out into the room. The hall had been adorned in decorations like she had never seen, even in all of her time with the Luthors. The crowd was dense, but that didn’t stop them from cheering as the rebels proceeded through the center of the room towards the stage.

It was a little much for Lena, but the thought of Maggie and Alex proceeding behind her, the feeling of Winn beside her, and the soothing presence of Kara in the Force — all of it reminded her that this was nothing. 

She and Winn reached the end of the carpet and bowed at the foot of the stage before splitting to stand on opposite sides of the stage amongst the ranks of the rebels. They were in the front, being some of the last to enter and primary players in the victory of the Resistance. 

Lena was more than pleased to have Maggie step up beside her. The shorter woman grinned at Lena. “You know, when you came into that bar on Sicemon, I thought you were just some newbie bounty hunter.”

Lena chuckled and cocked a brow. “And I thought you were a little odd for a bartender.”

Maggie shrugged. “I’m just glad I met you, Luthor.”

“And I’m glad you were the first person I ever met in the Resistance.”

Maggie snorted. “Imagine if it had been Alex.”

Lena chortled a bit at that. Alex wouldn’t have tried to save her ass, she would’ve held her at gunpoint as soon as she learned Lena’s last name. 

Suddenly the processional march transitioned to a bright fanfare, the brass ringing out across the hall. Silence fell upon the room and Lena felt her heartrate increase a bit, knowing that she’d have to step out in front of everyone. She _despised_ being the center of attention, even if she was _really_ good at pretending otherwise. Social elite skills and such.

“For many generations, the Jedi have shaped and guided the galaxy as it encountered trial after trial,” J’onn J’onzz began, his voice echoing around the hall. “They helped governments rise, and they have been instrumental in their falls. As a Jedi myself, I can be the first to tell you that we who use the Force and live within it are not perfect — we are still imperfect souls. We have emotions, desires, and fears. But what sets us apart is power. Responsibility. We are required to exhibit honor and control so that we can do what we do best — serve the galaxy and preserve the life within it, whatever the cost. Yesterday’s ceremony — we mourned our friends and family. We recognized the brave. The fallen. Today we celebrate those who still stand today. Those who risked everything to secure this new era. This new age. General Grant.”

The woman in question stepped forwards with a nod of acknowledgement to the Jedi Master. “As you all know, the Jedi are taking a step down from political affairs in favor of being a nomadic people.” She sighed, making the action sound almost eloquent. “The current council is in the process of reformation and restructuring, and I know I’m supposed to say some nice, warm words to reassure you that this new age will be great and warm and happy, but I’m not.” 

The silence that followed during Cat’s dramatic pause made Lena feel a bit awkward, but it seemed as if they were holding their breath, waiting on whatever she said next. If Lena could work a crowd half as well as the General, she would be able to . . . run an army. 

“This new age will be hard, it will be tough, and you know what? We will probably fail many times. But what makes us different? What makes us different is that we know what we’ve fought for and we’ve fought for this struggle, this _challenge_ that lays in front of us. We know what it’s like firsthand to lose everything to fear. To . . . hate. So I guess I’ll say this: we can fail, we can struggle, we can be sad, we can even be angry. But we cannot hate.” 

Cat pulled out a pair of reading glasses and flicked them open before putting them on her face, unfolding a small piece of paper from her military uniform’s jacket. “Ah yes. In this new era of reconstruction, we have a singular member to introduce. Many of you know her as a weapon of the Empire. The Empress’ ward, the last Kryptonian. But I can be the first to say that she, just like us, is made of flesh and bone and has a heart that is mending just like the rest of ours. She played an instrumental part in saving us all, and she will continue to move forward as a helper in this new era of peace. The council wants to offer her a medal of bravery and a formal offering of peace. The council would also like to recognize a hero long thought dead who also helped reign in this new era, a hero who personally swore to aid in the restoration alongside his cousin. I present, Kara Zor-El and Kal-El, children of Krypton!”

The crowd cheered wildly as the two Els in question stepped into the room, adorned in matching robes. The dark blue swayed gracefully with their steps and the red shoulder cape and sash around their waists added a heroic accent. Lena felt herself smile as her eyes landed on their matching golden broaches with their family crest on it on their upper left of their chest. 

Kara’s hair was down, slightly curled and framing her smiling face in a way that seemed to reflect the sunlight pouring in through the windows.

Someone nudged her and Lena looked to the person beside her with a small glare. “What?” Maggie asked innocently. “You were staring _and_ drooling.”

Lena rolled her eyes and she locked eyes with Mon-El across the stage. The Daxamite smiled warmly at her and dipped his head in acknowledgement. She knew he definitely had secured liquor for them and their friends for later tonight. Her eyes moved to Barry who was cheering, completely undignified as he praised his friends. She then found Alex who was watching the two Kryptonians with wet eyes, clapping alongside the crowd. Lena sensed her pride and knew that as Kal and Kara kneeled before the council representative as they placed the medals around their necks that Alex deserved to see her sister like this.

Lena’s eyes then found Winn who was watching with just as much pride in his eyes and she couldn’t help but smile widely when he made eye contact with her and winked. 

She refocused her gaze on the now standing Kryptonians, joining in on the applause, almost overwhelmed at the wave of thankfulness and sentimentality rushing through her. She had friends now. She had a family. And . . . and as much as she had to work through her own personal scars, she was happy. She was . . . so thankful.

Lex had been put away. Rhea was gone. Kal-El was back. The city was undergoing major construction, and Winn's hacking abilities had become the stuff of legend to the point where she was sure the galactic council actually _feared_ him to some degree. The galaxy was certainly breathing its first breath of a new era. A new life. And though her brother hadn't stopped requesting her to visit, she knew that he could wait until she was ready. They had much to discuss, much to talk about, and she knew that if she went now, she wouldn't be able to refrain from hurting him. But for now, she was here. In the present. And that was enough.

Kara glanced her way with concern in her gaze, clearly sensing Lena’s swirling emotions. Lena wiped the corner of her eye and smiled at her, shaking her head a bit to let the Kryptonian know she was okay. Kara smiled back lovingly before facing forward.

As the crowd calmed down, Cat sighed and looked down at her notes. “Where am I . . . ah yes. Next for special recognition, the medal of valour: Winnslow Schott Jr. —”

* * *

  **Later that night**

“Holy _fu —”_

“Maggie!” 

Lena entered the room, her eyebrows raised in curiosity as she heard Alex chide her lover for her language. There was no telling what had caught Maggie in such surprise that she was going to drop a word like that, but it had to be good. 

“Lena!” Winn greeted her with a wide smile. Everyone yelled happily when they heard the greeting and Lena rolled her eyes with a small smile.

“I’m sorry I’m a little late. I had to get J’onn to stop worrying over me. But, I brought the ale you were asking about, Mon-El.” She held said bottle out to the Daxamite. 

“Ohmygosh, you are,” Mon-El took the bottle delicately in his hands, “the best person in the entire galaxy. Ever.”

 “I’d agree,” Kara’s voice came from behind her. Lena barely had time to react before the Kryptonian had spun her around and placed a solid kiss on her lips. 

The room filled with groans. “Get a room!” James called from his seat. 

Something small hit her in the head and Lena pulled back from Kara and shot a look at Barry Allen who was innocently munching on a snack. He met her gaze with wide eyes. “Hi, Lena!”

“So, why was Maggie about to say ‘fuck’?” Lena asked bluntly, sitting herself down in her chair. 

“Lena!” Alex chastised immediately as the room exploded in ‘woah!’s. Maggie just cackled. 

“Luthor! Language!” Mon-El scolded her. 

“Geez! You can’t say things like that when my daughter gets here,” Winn said, pointing a finger at Lena. 

It took a moment for that to sink in. “Oh my gosh,” Lena exclaimed. 

“You got the paperwork approved?” Kara asked eagerly, leaning forwards. 

Winn was now beaming. “Heck yes I did! I’m adopting a daughter, you guys!”

The room exploded and it was a mess of hugs and cheers and drinks and teasing and Lena was laughing like she hadn’t in a long time. Like she needed to. 

“So how are you going to balance your job as a . . . whatever you’re doing?” Barry asked Winn.

“As technical advisor for the Jedi knights?” Winn asked. He sat back cockily. “Please, I have people who work for me now. They’re the ones traversing the galaxy alongside the Jedi. I’m working outside of the Jedi Academy that J’onn and Barry are starting up here on Coruscant.”

“That means you’ll be around if we ever need a comment or inside scoop,” James commented, clapping Winn on the shoulder. 

“Yeah, how _is_ that startup news outlet going?” Alex asked. 

James just shrugged, resting an arm on the back of the couch. Winn surreptitiously scooted away from James at the action. “Though Cat’s retired from the military, you wouldn’t think she knew that by the way she’s running Catco. It’s . . . it’s a little terrifying, if I’m completely honest.”

Maggie snorted. “You’ll live, Olsen. Despite her eccentrism, she actually likes you.”

“How do you tell?” he asked. 

Mon-El chuckled. “Well, you’re not dead or fired yet, so I think that’s a good clue.”

Kara laughed from beside Lena and rested her head on the dark-haired woman’s shoulder. Lena leaned her cheek on her lover’s head. 

“So, what about Kal?” Barry asked Kara. “He said he was leaving and couldn’t make it to game night. What’s that about?”

Kara sighed, keeping her head on Lena’s shoulder. “He’s going to find his family. The family that found him when his pod landed after leaving Krypton. Them and his girl.”

Everyone looked surprised except James Olsen. “He has a girl?” Winn asked, surprised. 

James chuckled. “Yup. Hardly anyone knows, which is how he likes it. Why, Schott? You jealous?”

Winn scoffed and threw a game piece at the laughing pilot. 

“What about you, Mon-El?” Lena asked. “You going to start that bar you mentioned a while back?”

Everyone chuckled and Mon-El shrugged. “I may. Eventually. But first I need to finish my meetings with the council. I’m trying to get funding to start construction on my new cultural center for the Rao system. It will be an informational hub with everything anyone could want to know about Rao, Daxam, Krypton, while also serving as a place for refugees of other worlds with no other place to go.”

Everyone sat in stunned silence, staring at the Daxamite prince as he sipped his drink nonchalantly. “Oh,” he added with afterthought, “I was also thinking of putting a bar there too, but that may be a bit much.”

Kara sat up, and Lena immediately missed her warmth. “‘A bit much’?” she echoed. “Mon-El, you’re talking about the preservation of our _worlds.”_  

Mon-El shrugged. “I just want to make up for my mother’s actions against the galaxy. And I don’t want our people to go forgotten. People think Daxam was a planet of terrorists. That’s just not true. And not _all_ of Krypton were Force-sensitive.” 

There was another brief silence while everyone sat, impressed. 

“Damn, Mon-El,” Maggie said into the quiet. Everyone looked at each other and after another beat of silence, bust out into laughter. 

“Does anyone _else_ have any surprising post-war plans they wanna let everyone know about before we all scatter for work?” Barry said sarcastically into the room before downing his drink. 

Lena slipped her fingers between Kara’s and caught her eye with a side glance. They both smiled warmly at each other before looking at the room. Lena was curious to see Maggie and Alex exchanging glances. 

“Barry, I think the red couch wants to share,” she commented. 

Everyone’s attention went to Maggie and Alex who both glared at Lena’s observation. The Luthor just shrugged innocently. 

“We’re . . . eloping.” Alex’s words were met with silence. 

“I . . . I was just kidding,” Barry said, stunned. 

The room exploded into cheers and Mon-El began pouring more drinks. Everyone got up to hug everyone else and Lena let go of Kara’s hand to wrap her arms around Maggie. 

“A toast!” James called out. “To the eloped!”

“To the eloped!” everyone echoed cheerfully before clinking glasses and knocking the drinks back. 

“Tell me you guys aren’t doing the same thing,” Winn joked nervously at Lena and Kara. 

The two Jedi exchanged glances before busting out laughing. “No, we’re not nearly there yet,” Kara said through her giggles, wiping a wayward tear from the corner of her eye. 

“Yet?” Lena asked, amused, cocking her eyebrow. 

Kara’s eyes flashed with mirth and love. “Yet.”

“You guys are . . . disgusting,” Barry commented. 

“Just you wait, Allen,” Maggie said. “You’ll find your person and then it’ll be _us_ telling _you_ how gross you are.”

Barry just stuck his tongue out. 

“No, we’ve decided we need a break actually.” Lena’s words were met with wide eyes and she laughed. “No, not from each other. From. Everything.”

“You’re leaving?” Mon-El inquired. 

“No,” Alex responded for them. She walked up to her sister with warmth and understanding in her eyes. Lena wished she could understand their sisterly bond in that moment, but she knew it was for them and them alone. “No, they’re taking a vacation. Resting.”

Kara smiled widely at her sister. 

“I’m so proud of you, you know,” Alex said quietly to Kara. 

“I know,” the blonde responded. They hugged tightly for a few moments before stepping back. 

 “Does J’onn know about this?” Winn asked. 

“My old master wouldn’t allow it,” Lena responded, amused. “So no. But he will.”

Everyone laughed and Winn shook his head. “Well as long as you come back soon.”

“Now it’s game time!” Mon-El shouted, and everyone followed and cheered before breaking into chaotic overlapping chatter about what games, what teams, what scores, who was going to go first, how they were going to decide. 

And amidst the chaos, Lena took Kara’s hand and leaned into her. 

“I used to feel so alone,” Kara said quietly so that only Lena could hear her. “But now . . . now I don’t anymore. It’s like . . . you guys are —”

“Family?” Lena supplied. She took in the blonde’s soft smile.

“Yeah. Family.” Kara sighed contentedly and pressed a kiss to Lena’s cheek. “I love you a lot, you know.”

Lena chuckled. “I know.” They watched as Winn stood up dramatically, chiding Mon-El for accidentally insulting his favorite game. They didn’t say anything to each other for a moment. Then: “You’re more than the last daughter of Krypton, you know that right?”

Kara nodded. “I know.”

Lena squeezed the woman’s hand. Nothing more needed to be said.

* * *

_**Finis** _  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, folks! Thank you to the people who stayed with me from the beginning to the end! 
> 
> I'm thinking of what other possible AUs I could do, so if there are any other movie or book series or even standalones you'd like to see Supercorp in, let me know!


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